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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. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  3. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  4. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  5. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  6. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  7. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  8. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  9. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  10. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  11. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  12. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  13. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  14. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  15. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  16. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  17. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  18. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  19. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  20. That was ________________ to happen.
  21. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  22. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  23. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  24. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. face — part of the head
  2. calf — a young animal
  3. lie — to recline
  4. pitch — a sports field
  5. bat — in an idiom
  6. calf — of the leg
  7. face — to point toward
  8. shower — rain
  9. bound — tied together
  10. racket — for tennis
  11. bat — for baseball
  12. racket — a loud noise
  13. shower — to wash
  14. pitch — a sales talk
  15. racket — for tennis
  16. bat — the animal
  17. calf — a young animal
  18. pitch — completely
  19. face — to confront
  20. bound — certain
  21. shower — a meteor shower
  22. lie — an untruth
  23. bound — obliged
  24. lie — an untruth

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