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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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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: calf · fork · face · lash · lean · saw

  1. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  2. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  3. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  4. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  5. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  6. She's very handy with a ________________.
  7. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  8. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  9. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  10. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  11. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  12. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  13. He works in a ________________ mill.
  14. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  15. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  16. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  17. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  18. The spa offers ________________ extensions.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — a young animal
  2. lean — thin
  3. lash — to lash out
  4. fork — a garden tool
  5. lean — to bend
  6. saw — the tool
  7. calf — of the leg
  8. face — to confront
  9. lash — a whip stroke
  10. face — part of the head
  11. lean — to rest against
  12. fork — in a road
  13. saw — the tool
  14. fork — to eat with
  15. saw — past of 'see'
  16. face — to point toward
  17. calf — a young animal
  18. lash — an eyelash

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