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

Word bank: calf · chest · ruler · pitch · face · fall

  1. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  2. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  3. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  4. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  5. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  6. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  7. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  8. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  9. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  10. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  11. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  12. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  13. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  14. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  15. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  16. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  17. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  18. 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. calf — a young animal
  2. pitch — a sports field
  3. fall — the season
  4. face — part of the head
  5. ruler — for measuring
  6. fall — to drop
  7. fall — to drop
  8. chest — of your body
  9. pitch — completely
  10. ruler — for measuring
  11. calf — of the leg
  12. face — to confront
  13. calf — a young animal
  14. chest — of your body
  15. ruler — a monarch
  16. face — to point toward
  17. chest — a box
  18. 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