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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. We're on a ________________ here.
  2. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  3. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  4. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  5. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  6. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  7. That was a fun ________________.
  8. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  9. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  10. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  11. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  12. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  13. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  14. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  15. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  16. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  17. She's very handy with a ________________.
  18. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  19. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  20. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  21. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  22. He works in a ________________ mill.
  23. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  24. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.

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

Answer key

  1. roll — on a roll
  2. saw — past of 'see'
  3. roll — a cake
  4. face — to point toward
  5. lie — to recline
  6. calf — a young animal
  7. game — a match
  8. lie — an untruth
  9. bark — to shout
  10. bore — to drill
  11. calf — of the leg
  12. bore — to tire
  13. calf — a young animal
  14. game — wild animals
  15. roll — a list
  16. bore — gave birth
  17. saw — the tool
  18. lie — an untruth
  19. bark — of a tree
  20. face — part of the head
  21. bark — a dog's sound
  22. saw — the tool
  23. game — a kind of play
  24. face — to confront

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