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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. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  2. The tickets are free of ________________.
  3. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  4. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  5. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  6. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  7. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  8. How do you ________________ your surname?
  9. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  10. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  11. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  12. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  13. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  14. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  15. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  16. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  17. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  18. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  19. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  20. The King held a masked ________________.
  21. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  22. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  23. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  24. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.

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

Answer key

  1. present — there
  2. charge — a price
  3. face — part of the head
  4. calf — of the leg
  5. calf — a young animal
  6. present — a gift
  7. ball — a round shape
  8. spell — letters
  9. face — to point toward
  10. lash — an eyelash
  11. ball — a great time
  12. foot — a measure
  13. foot — part of the body
  14. face — to confront
  15. foot — the bottom
  16. calf — a young animal
  17. charge — in control
  18. present — the time now
  19. charge — electricity
  20. ball — a dance
  21. lash — a whip stroke
  22. spell — a short time
  23. spell — magic
  24. lash — to lash out

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