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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 · nail · leaves · bear · face · club · ruler · wind

  1. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  2. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  3. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  4. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  5. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  6. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  7. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  8. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  9. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  10. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  11. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  12. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  13. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  14. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  15. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  16. The ________________ went through the wall.
  17. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  18. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  19. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  20. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  21. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  22. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  23. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  24. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — on a finger
  2. bear — to put up with
  3. wind — to turn a key
  4. nail — for a hammer
  5. face — to confront
  6. ruler — for measuring
  7. face — to point toward
  8. bear — the animal
  9. calf — a young animal
  10. club — for dancing
  11. leaves — of a tree
  12. face — part of the head
  13. leaves — lets stay
  14. ruler — for measuring
  15. wind — moving air
  16. nail — for a hammer
  17. bear — the animal
  18. calf — a young animal
  19. club — a group
  20. leaves — to go away
  21. calf — of the leg
  22. wind — moving air
  23. ruler — a monarch
  24. club — for golf

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