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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.

Make a worksheet

Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
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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: face · leaves · wind · drill · calf · hide · firm · mark

  1. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  2. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  3. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  4. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  5. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  6. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  7. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  8. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  9. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  10. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  11. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  12. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  13. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  14. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  15. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  16. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  17. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  18. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  19. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  20. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  21. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  22. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  23. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  24. We had a fire ________________ at school today.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — a young animal
  2. firm — a company
  3. face — to point toward
  4. face — part of the head
  5. leaves — of a tree
  6. drill — army training
  7. hide — animal skin
  8. leaves — lets stay
  9. wind — moving air
  10. mark — a trace
  11. hide — to keep secret
  12. drill — the tool
  13. hide — to keep secret
  14. firm — steady
  15. mark — a grade
  16. leaves — to go away
  17. wind — to turn a key
  18. calf — of the leg
  19. firm — decided
  20. face — to confront
  21. wind — moving air
  22. mark — to pay attention
  23. calf — a young animal
  24. drill — a practice

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