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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. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  2. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  3. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  4. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  5. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  6. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  7. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  8. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  9. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  10. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  11. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  12. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  13. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  14. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  15. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  16. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  17. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  18. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  19. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  20. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  21. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  22. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  23. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  24. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.

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

Answer key

  1. face — to point toward
  2. wind — to turn a key
  3. club — a group
  4. calf — a young animal
  5. hide — to keep secret
  6. club — for dancing
  7. calf — of the leg
  8. wax — in the ear
  9. wax — for sculpting
  10. wind — moving air
  11. shower — to wash
  12. fall — the season
  13. fall — to drop
  14. wax — to grow
  15. calf — a young animal
  16. hide — animal skin
  17. shower — rain
  18. fall — to drop
  19. face — part of the head
  20. face — to confront
  21. club — for golf
  22. shower — a meteor shower
  23. hide — to keep secret
  24. wind — moving air

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