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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. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  2. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  3. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  4. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  5. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  6. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  7. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  8. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  9. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  10. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  11. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  12. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  13. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  14. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  15. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  16. He is an ace ________________.
  17. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  18. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  19. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  20. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  21. Have you met the new head ________________?
  22. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  23. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  24. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — for tennis
  2. stick — to attach or keep to
  3. coach — a trainer
  4. coach — pulled by horses
  5. stick — a piece of wood
  6. face — to point toward
  7. calf — a young animal
  8. face — part of the head
  9. face — to confront
  10. racket — a loud noise
  11. pitcher — a jug
  12. fork — to eat with
  13. calf — of the leg
  14. pitcher — a jug
  15. fork — in a road
  16. pitcher — in baseball
  17. racket — for tennis
  18. lie — to recline
  19. fork — a garden tool
  20. lie — an untruth
  21. coach — a trainer
  22. lie — an untruth
  23. calf — a young animal
  24. stick — a piece of wood

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