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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. She's very handy with a ________________.
  2. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  3. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  4. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  5. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  6. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  7. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  8. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  9. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  10. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  11. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  12. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  13. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  14. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  15. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  16. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  17. He works in a ________________ mill.
  18. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  19. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  20. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  21. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  22. The King held a masked ________________.
  23. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  24. I can't ________________ this cold.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — the tool
  2. stand — on your feet
  3. face — to point toward
  4. calf — of the leg
  5. lash — a whip stroke
  6. calf — a young animal
  7. lash — an eyelash
  8. ball — a great time
  9. calf — a young animal
  10. cap — a lid
  11. saw — past of 'see'
  12. stand — for spectators
  13. face — to confront
  14. chip — to eat
  15. lash — to lash out
  16. cap — of ice
  17. saw — the tool
  18. chip — in a computer
  19. ball — a round shape
  20. cap — a hat
  21. chip — for betting
  22. ball — a dance
  23. face — part of the head
  24. stand — to bear

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