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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 120 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  2. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  3. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  4. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  5. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  6. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  7. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  8. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  9. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  10. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  11. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  12. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  13. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  14. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  15. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  16. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  17. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  18. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  19. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  20. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  21. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  22. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  23. David sat on the ________________.
  24. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. calf — a young animal
  2. face — to point toward
  3. mark — a trace
  4. bore — to drill
  5. mark — a grade
  6. calf — a young animal
  7. board — a committee
  8. swing — in golf
  9. perch — for a bird
  10. face — part of the head
  11. face — to confront
  12. pound — to hit hard
  13. bore — to tire
  14. bore — gave birth
  15. board — a flat piece
  16. pound — for dogs
  17. pound — a weight
  18. perch — for a bird
  19. calf — of the leg
  20. perch — the fish
  21. swing — music
  22. board — to get on
  23. swing — to play on
  24. mark — to pay attention

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com