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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 120 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 cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  2. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  3. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  4. Did you ________________ the meat?
  5. The ________________ took off on time.
  6. When will it ________________ you to start?
  7. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  8. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  9. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  10. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  11. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  12. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  13. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  14. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  15. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  16. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  17. It's one o'clock ________________.
  18. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  19. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  20. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  21. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  22. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  23. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  24. Spring is a pleasant ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — clothes
  2. calf — a young animal
  3. sharp — with an edge
  4. season — to add flavour
  5. plane — an aircraft
  6. suit — to fit
  7. calf — a young animal
  8. root — of a plant
  9. plane — in geometry
  10. sharp — clever
  11. face — to confront
  12. face — part of the head
  13. track — a path
  14. face — to point toward
  15. track — a song
  16. root — of a word
  17. sharp — exactly
  18. track — to keep track
  19. season — in sport
  20. root — the cause
  21. suit — in cards
  22. plane — a tool
  23. calf — of the leg
  24. season — of the year

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