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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 girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  2. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  3. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  4. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  5. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  6. Don't do anything ________________.
  7. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  8. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  9. Did you ________________ the meat?
  10. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  11. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  12. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  13. The ________________ went through the wall.
  14. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  15. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  16. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  17. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  18. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  19. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  20. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  21. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  22. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  23. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  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. row — a line
  2. firm — decided
  3. nail — for a hammer
  4. face — to point toward
  5. firm — steady
  6. rash — hasty
  7. row — a quarrel
  8. calf — a young animal
  9. season — to add flavour
  10. calf — a young animal
  11. rash — on the skin
  12. fall — to drop
  13. nail — for a hammer
  14. nail — on a finger
  15. calf — of the leg
  16. fall — the season
  17. firm — a company
  18. rash — a series
  19. face — part of the head
  20. season — in sport
  21. season — of the year
  22. row — to paddle
  23. fall — to drop
  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