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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. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  2. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  3. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  4. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  5. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  6. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  7. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  8. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  9. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  10. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  11. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  12. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  13. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  14. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  15. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  16. It's one o'clock ________________.
  17. My mare is ________________ in color.
  18. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  19. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  20. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  21. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  22. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  23. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  24. I would like to have a ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — a straw man
  2. spring — the season
  3. calf — of the leg
  4. face — part of the head
  5. field — farmland
  6. rest — what's left
  7. field — a subject
  8. field — for sport
  9. sharp — clever
  10. bay — to keep at bay
  11. bay — a part of the sea
  12. straw — to clutch at straws
  13. spring — a coil
  14. face — to point toward
  15. calf — a young animal
  16. sharp — exactly
  17. bay — a horse colour
  18. face — to confront
  19. spring — of water
  20. calf — a young animal
  21. rest — what's left
  22. sharp — with an edge
  23. straw — dry grass
  24. rest — a break

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