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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 protected her ________________ with great courage.
  3. That was ________________ to happen.
  4. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  5. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  6. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  7. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  8. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  9. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  10. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  11. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  12. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  13. The light ________________ burned out.
  14. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  15. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  16. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  17. Have you met the new head ________________?
  18. I've got to change the light ________________.
  19. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  20. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  21. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  22. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  23. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  24. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.

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. bound — certain
  4. calf — a young animal
  5. face — to point toward
  6. pound — for dogs
  7. bound — obliged
  8. mark — to pay attention
  9. lash — a whip stroke
  10. bulb — of a plant
  11. pound — a weight
  12. calf — of the leg
  13. bulb — for light
  14. mark — a grade
  15. mark — a trace
  16. face — part of the head
  17. coach — a trainer
  18. bulb — for light
  19. bound — tied together
  20. lash — an eyelash
  21. coach — pulled by horses
  22. coach — a trainer
  23. lash — to lash out
  24. pound — to hit hard

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