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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. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  2. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  3. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  4. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  5. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  6. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  7. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  8. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  9. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  10. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  11. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  12. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  13. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  14. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  15. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  16. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  17. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  18. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  19. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  20. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  21. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  22. David sat on the ________________.
  23. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  24. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.

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

Answer key

  1. face — to confront
  2. face — part of the head
  3. club — for golf
  4. calf — a young animal
  5. capital — money
  6. object — to protest
  7. calf — a young animal
  8. stem — of a plant
  9. mouse — the animal
  10. object — a thing
  11. capital — a city
  12. face — to point toward
  13. club — a group
  14. calf — of the leg
  15. club — for dancing
  16. swing — music
  17. stem — a stem cell
  18. capital — a big letter
  19. mouse — for a computer
  20. object — an aim
  21. stem — to come from
  22. swing — to play on
  23. swing — in golf
  24. mouse — the animal

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