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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 ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  2. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  3. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  4. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  5. Did you ________________ the button?
  6. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  7. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  8. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  9. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  10. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  11. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  12. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  13. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  14. When was this ________________ built?
  15. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  16. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  17. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  18. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  19. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  20. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  21. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  22. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  23. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  24. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — a sauce
  2. face — part of the head
  3. calf — a young animal
  4. wind — moving air
  5. press — to push
  6. bear — the animal
  7. temple — side of the head
  8. face — to confront
  9. craft — a skill
  10. calf — a young animal
  11. dip — to dunk
  12. bear — to put up with
  13. face — to point toward
  14. temple — a place of worship
  15. dip — to sink
  16. calf — of the leg
  17. press — newspapers
  18. wind — moving air
  19. craft — a handicraft
  20. bear — the animal
  21. press — a publisher
  22. wind — to turn a key
  23. temple — a place of worship
  24. craft — boats

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