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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. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  2. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  3. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  4. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  5. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  6. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  7. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  8. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  9. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  10. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  11. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  12. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  13. When was this ________________ built?
  14. Did you ________________ the meat?
  15. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  16. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  17. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  18. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  19. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  20. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  21. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  22. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  23. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  24. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.

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

Answer key

  1. fall — the season
  2. object — to protest
  3. season — of the year
  4. temple — a place of worship
  5. field — a subject
  6. hand — in cards
  7. field — for sport
  8. calf — a young animal
  9. season — in sport
  10. hand — part of the body
  11. temple — side of the head
  12. object — an aim
  13. temple — a place of worship
  14. season — to add flavour
  15. fall — to drop
  16. field — farmland
  17. calf — of the leg
  18. object — a thing
  19. face — to point toward
  20. fall — to drop
  21. face — part of the head
  22. hand — help
  23. calf — a young animal
  24. face — to confront

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