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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. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  2. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  3. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  4. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  5. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  6. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  7. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  8. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  9. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  10. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  11. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  12. I'll be taking the ________________.
  13. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  14. He is an ace ________________.
  15. When was this ________________ built?
  16. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  17. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  18. My father caught me by the ________________.
  19. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  20. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  21. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  22. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  23. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  24. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — a young animal
  2. calf — of the leg
  3. arm — part of the body
  4. fall — to drop
  5. face — to confront
  6. fall — to drop
  7. calf — a young animal
  8. pitcher — a jug
  9. arm — a part of something
  10. pitcher — a jug
  11. patient — a sick person
  12. tube — the underground
  13. tube — a container
  14. pitcher — in baseball
  15. temple — a place of worship
  16. patient — a sick person
  17. face — to point toward
  18. arm — part of the body
  19. tube — in a tire
  20. fall — the season
  21. patient — calm and waiting
  22. temple — a place of worship
  23. face — part of the head
  24. temple — side of the head

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