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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: pop · swing · lie · mouse · net · calf · face · tear

  1. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  2. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  3. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  4. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  5. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  6. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  7. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  8. You don't need to ________________ round.
  9. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  10. David sat on the ________________.
  11. We're almost out of ________________.
  12. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  13. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  14. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  15. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  16. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  17. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  18. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  19. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  20. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  21. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  22. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  23. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  24. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — a young animal
  2. face — to confront
  3. net — for catching
  4. net — in sport
  5. tear — from crying
  6. lie — an untruth
  7. face — part of the head
  8. pop — to visit
  9. swing — in golf
  10. swing — to play on
  11. pop — soda
  12. pop — music
  13. mouse — for a computer
  14. mouse — the animal
  15. calf — of the leg
  16. swing — music
  17. lie — to recline
  18. net — after costs
  19. face — to point toward
  20. tear — from crying
  21. mouse — the animal
  22. lie — an untruth
  23. calf — a young animal
  24. tear — to rip

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