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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. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  2. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  3. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  4. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  5. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  6. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  7. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  8. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  9. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  10. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  11. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  12. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  13. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  14. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  15. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  16. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  17. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  18. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  19. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  20. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  21. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  22. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  23. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  24. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — a young animal
  2. face — to confront
  3. calf — of the leg
  4. bark — of a tree
  5. face — part of the head
  6. leaves — of a tree
  7. face — to point toward
  8. can — to be able to
  9. leaves — lets stay
  10. spring — of water
  11. net — for catching
  12. object — an aim
  13. spring — a coil
  14. object — to protest
  15. net — in sport
  16. can — a tin
  17. spring — the season
  18. can — a tin
  19. bark — a dog's sound
  20. object — a thing
  21. net — after costs
  22. leaves — to go away
  23. calf — a young animal
  24. bark — to shout

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