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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. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  2. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  3. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  4. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  5. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  6. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  7. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  8. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  9. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  10. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  11. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  12. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  13. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  14. David sat on the ________________.
  15. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  16. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  17. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  18. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  19. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  20. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  21. He is an ace ________________.
  22. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  23. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  24. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. face — to point toward
  2. calf — a young animal
  3. bank — for money
  4. chair — to sit on
  5. swing — in golf
  6. bank — for money
  7. club — for golf
  8. chair — a leader
  9. wax — to grow
  10. bank — of a river
  11. pitcher — a jug
  12. calf — of the leg
  13. face — to confront
  14. swing — to play on
  15. face — part of the head
  16. club — a group
  17. club — for dancing
  18. wax — in the ear
  19. calf — a young animal
  20. swing — music
  21. pitcher — in baseball
  22. pitcher — a jug
  23. wax — for sculpting
  24. chair — a professorship

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