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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 did all she could to defend her ________________.
  2. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  3. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  4. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  5. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  6. He works in a ________________ mill.
  7. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  8. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  9. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  10. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  11. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  12. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  13. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  14. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  15. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  16. She's very handy with a ________________.
  17. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  18. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  19. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  20. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  21. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  22. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  23. Did you ________________ the meat?
  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. calf — a young animal
  2. pitch — a sales talk
  3. season — in sport
  4. saw — past of 'see'
  5. fan — a supporter
  6. saw — the tool
  7. toast — the most admired
  8. toast — bread
  9. face — to confront
  10. fan — to cool the air
  11. pitch — completely
  12. pitch — a sports field
  13. season — of the year
  14. toast — a drink to someone
  15. calf — a young animal
  16. saw — the tool
  17. march — the month
  18. fan — a supporter
  19. march — the month
  20. march — music
  21. face — to point toward
  22. calf — of the leg
  23. season — to add flavour
  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