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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: pound · lean · date · calf · face · drill · bowl · spring

  1. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  2. Have you settled on a ________________?
  3. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  4. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  5. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  6. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  7. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  8. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  9. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  10. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  11. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  12. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  13. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  14. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  15. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  16. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  17. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  18. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  19. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  20. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  21. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  22. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  23. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  24. She had a strange look on her ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — a young animal
  2. date — on the calendar
  3. face — to point toward
  4. pound — for dogs
  5. drill — a practice
  6. bowl — a dish
  7. bowl — to roll
  8. pound — a weight
  9. lean — to bend
  10. drill — army training
  11. calf — a young animal
  12. calf — of the leg
  13. face — to confront
  14. date — the fruit
  15. spring — of water
  16. pound — to hit hard
  17. spring — a coil
  18. drill — the tool
  19. date — on the calendar
  20. lean — thin
  21. spring — the season
  22. bowl — a football final
  23. lean — to rest against
  24. face — part of the head

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