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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. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  2. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  3. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  4. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  5. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  6. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  7. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  8. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  9. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  10. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  11. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  12. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  13. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  14. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  15. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  16. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  17. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  18. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  19. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  20. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  21. He was locked up in a ________________.
  22. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  23. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  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. lean — to rest against
  2. calf — a young animal
  3. safe — out of danger
  4. lean — thin
  5. safe — a strongbox
  6. rest — what's left
  7. rest — a break
  8. branch — a division
  9. wound — an injury
  10. wound — an injury
  11. cell — a phone
  12. face — to confront
  13. calf — of the leg
  14. face — to point toward
  15. branch — of a tree
  16. branch — of a bank
  17. rest — what's left
  18. lean — to bend
  19. wound — past of 'wind'
  20. calf — a young animal
  21. cell — in a prison
  22. safe — out of danger
  23. cell — in biology
  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