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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. When are we going to ________________?
  2. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  3. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  4. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  5. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  6. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  7. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  8. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  9. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  10. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  11. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  12. Have you settled on a ________________?
  13. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  14. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  15. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  16. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  17. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  18. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  19. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  20. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  21. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  22. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  23. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  24. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. land — to come down
  2. face — to confront
  3. date — the fruit
  4. rock — to move gently
  5. rock — a stone
  6. stick — a piece of wood
  7. calf — of the leg
  8. rock — music
  9. fan — a supporter
  10. calf — a young animal
  11. fan — to cool the air
  12. date — on the calendar
  13. face — to point toward
  14. firm — decided
  15. land — a country
  16. date — on the calendar
  17. land — ground
  18. face — part of the head
  19. stick — to attach or keep to
  20. stick — a piece of wood
  21. firm — steady
  22. fan — a supporter
  23. calf — a young animal
  24. firm — a company

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