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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. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  2. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  3. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  4. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  5. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  6. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  7. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  8. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  9. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  10. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  11. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  12. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  13. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  14. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  15. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  16. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  17. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  18. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  19. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  20. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  21. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  22. What do you think of the new ________________?
  23. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  24. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — a straw man
  2. calf — a young animal
  3. fan — a supporter
  4. rock — a stone
  5. straw — dry grass
  6. fan — a supporter
  7. face — part of the head
  8. board — to get on
  9. face — to point toward
  10. rock — to move gently
  11. fan — to cool the air
  12. mine — belonging to me
  13. straw — to clutch at straws
  14. mine — for digging
  15. cabinet — a cupboard
  16. calf — a young animal
  17. calf — of the leg
  18. board — a flat piece
  19. mine — an explosive
  20. rock — music
  21. board — a committee
  22. cabinet — ministers
  23. face — to confront
  24. cabinet — ministers

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