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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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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: rest · calf · bulb · fork · face · nail

  1. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  2. The light ________________ burned out.
  3. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  4. I've got to change the light ________________.
  5. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  6. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  7. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  8. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  9. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  10. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  11. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  12. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  13. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  14. The ________________ went through the wall.
  15. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  16. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  17. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  18. He had ________________ pain while walking.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — a break
  2. bulb — for light
  3. face — to confront
  4. bulb — for light
  5. fork — a garden tool
  6. nail — on a finger
  7. fork — to eat with
  8. rest — what's left
  9. face — to point toward
  10. calf — a young animal
  11. nail — for a hammer
  12. bulb — of a plant
  13. fork — in a road
  14. nail — for a hammer
  15. calf — a young animal
  16. face — part of the head
  17. rest — what's left
  18. 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