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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 116 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 ________________ change colour in autumn.
  2. She's very handy with a ________________.
  3. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  4. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  5. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  6. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  7. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  8. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  9. False peace will not ________________.
  10. He works in a ________________ mill.
  11. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  12. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  13. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  14. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  15. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  16. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  17. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  18. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  19. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  20. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  21. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  22. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  23. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  24. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — of a tree
  2. saw — the tool
  3. leaves — to go away
  4. calf — a young animal
  5. face — to confront
  6. pitch — completely
  7. calf — of the leg
  8. club — for golf
  9. last — to go on
  10. saw — the tool
  11. leaves — lets stay
  12. saw — past of 'see'
  13. pitch — a sports field
  14. band — a ring
  15. last — finally
  16. last — final
  17. club — for dancing
  18. face — part of the head
  19. club — a group
  20. calf — a young animal
  21. band — a music group
  22. band — a rubber band
  23. face — to point toward
  24. pitch — a sales talk

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