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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 116 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. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  3. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  4. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  5. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  6. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  7. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  8. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  9. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  10. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  11. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  12. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  13. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  14. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  15. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  16. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  17. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  18. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  19. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  20. That was a fun ________________.
  21. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  22. There's no middle ________________.
  23. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  24. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.

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

Answer key

  1. face — to confront
  2. calf — a young animal
  3. stick — a piece of wood
  4. field — a subject
  5. scale — for weighing
  6. safe — out of danger
  7. safe — out of danger
  8. field — farmland
  9. safe — a strongbox
  10. scale — size or range
  11. stick — to attach or keep to
  12. calf — of the leg
  13. game — a kind of play
  14. stick — a piece of wood
  15. face — part of the head
  16. ground — the earth
  17. game — wild animals
  18. scale — in music
  19. field — for sport
  20. game — a match
  21. ground — crushed
  22. ground — a position
  23. calf — a young animal
  24. face — to point toward

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