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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 giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  2. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  3. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  4. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  5. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  6. Don't do anything ________________.
  7. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  8. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  9. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  10. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  11. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  12. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  13. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  14. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  15. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  16. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  17. That was a fun ________________.
  18. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  19. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  20. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  21. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  22. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  23. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  24. He had ________________ pain while walking.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — a young animal
  2. face — to point toward
  3. lean — to bend
  4. face — part of the head
  5. rash — on the skin
  6. rash — hasty
  7. game — wild animals
  8. lean — thin
  9. pit — in a race
  10. pit — a hole
  11. fan — to cool the air
  12. prune — to trim
  13. fan — a supporter
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. calf — a young animal
  16. prune — to trim
  17. game — a match
  18. pit — a fruit stone
  19. game — a kind of play
  20. rash — a series
  21. face — to confront
  22. lean — to rest against
  23. prune — the fruit
  24. calf — of the leg

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