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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 ________________ up on opposing sides.
  2. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  3. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  4. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  5. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  6. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  7. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  8. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  9. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  10. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  11. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  12. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  13. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  14. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  15. Have you settled on a ________________?
  16. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  17. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  18. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  19. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  20. Don't do anything ________________.
  21. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  22. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  23. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  24. She had a strange look on her ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wound — past of 'wind'
  2. calf — a young animal
  3. face — to point toward
  4. date — on the calendar
  5. rash — on the skin
  6. mine — an explosive
  7. object — a thing
  8. rash — a series
  9. object — an aim
  10. staff — a stick
  11. staff — employees
  12. wound — an injury
  13. object — to protest
  14. staff — employees
  15. date — on the calendar
  16. date — the fruit
  17. calf — of the leg
  18. calf — a young animal
  19. mine — belonging to me
  20. rash — hasty
  21. face — to confront
  22. mine — for digging
  23. wound — an injury
  24. face — part 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