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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: mug · game · calf · fine · band · shower · face · leaves

  1. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  2. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  3. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  4. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  5. Where did you ________________ them?
  6. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  7. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  8. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  9. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  10. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  11. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  12. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  13. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  14. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  15. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  16. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  17. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  18. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  19. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  20. That was a fun ________________.
  21. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  22. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  23. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  24. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — a cup
  2. calf — a young animal
  3. calf — a young animal
  4. face — to point toward
  5. mug — to rob
  6. fine — high quality
  7. game — a kind of play
  8. leaves — to go away
  9. band — a music group
  10. leaves — of a tree
  11. face — part of the head
  12. face — to confront
  13. leaves — lets stay
  14. calf — of the leg
  15. band — a rubber band
  16. mug — a face
  17. shower — a meteor shower
  18. fine — a penalty
  19. fine — all right
  20. game — a match
  21. shower — rain
  22. shower — to wash
  23. band — a ring
  24. game — wild animals

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