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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 protected her ________________ with great courage.
  2. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  3. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  4. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  5. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  6. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  7. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  8. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  9. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  10. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  11. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  12. The ________________ took off on time.
  13. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  14. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  15. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  16. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  17. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  18. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  19. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  20. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  21. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  22. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  23. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  24. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — a young animal
  2. pit — a fruit stone
  3. plane — in geometry
  4. pit — a hole
  5. content — happy
  6. pitch — a sports field
  7. content — videos and posts
  8. mark — a grade
  9. calf — of the leg
  10. rest — what's left
  11. rest — a break
  12. plane — an aircraft
  13. plane — a tool
  14. content — the amount
  15. calf — a young animal
  16. mark — to pay attention
  17. pitch — a sales talk
  18. pit — in a race
  19. mark — a trace
  20. rest — what's left
  21. pitch — completely
  22. face — part of the head
  23. face — to confront
  24. face — to point toward

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