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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. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  2. I'll be taking the ________________.
  3. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  4. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  5. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  6. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  7. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  8. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  9. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  10. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  11. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  12. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  13. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  14. My father caught me by the ________________.
  15. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  16. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  17. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  18. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  19. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  20. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  21. We're on a ________________ here.
  22. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  23. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  24. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.

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

Answer key

  1. face — part of the head
  2. tube — the underground
  3. calf — a young animal
  4. arm — a part of something
  5. hand — part of the body
  6. hand — help
  7. face — to confront
  8. hand — in cards
  9. calf — a young animal
  10. bear — to put up with
  11. tube — in a tire
  12. calf — of the leg
  13. roll — a cake
  14. arm — part of the body
  15. bear — the animal
  16. bear — the animal
  17. bore — to drill
  18. roll — a list
  19. arm — part of the body
  20. bore — gave birth
  21. roll — on a roll
  22. face — to point toward
  23. bore — to tire
  24. tube — a container

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