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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 124 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. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  2. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  3. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  4. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  5. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  6. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  7. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  8. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  9. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  10. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  11. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  12. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  13. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  14. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  15. Have you found your soul ________________?
  16. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  17. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  18. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  19. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  20. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  21. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  22. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  23. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  24. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. face — to point toward
  2. ruler — for measuring
  3. face — part of the head
  4. calf — a young animal
  5. calf — a young animal
  6. branch — a division
  7. mate — a friend
  8. branch — of a bank
  9. pitch — a sports field
  10. branch — of a tree
  11. pitch — completely
  12. calf — of the leg
  13. ruler — a monarch
  14. stick — to attach or keep to
  15. mate — a partner
  16. pitch — a sales talk
  17. kid — to tease
  18. stick — a piece of wood
  19. mate — to breed
  20. ruler — for measuring
  21. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  22. face — to confront
  23. stick — a piece of wood
  24. kid — child

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