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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: ball · lash · foot · board · face · bank · calf · tear

  1. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  2. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  3. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  4. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  5. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  6. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  7. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  8. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  9. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  10. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  11. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  12. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  13. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  14. The King held a masked ________________.
  15. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  16. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  17. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  18. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  19. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  20. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  21. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  22. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  23. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  24. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — of the leg
  2. face — to point toward
  3. foot — a measure
  4. board — a flat piece
  5. board — a committee
  6. face — part of the head
  7. ball — a great time
  8. tear — from crying
  9. lash — an eyelash
  10. bank — for money
  11. ball — a round shape
  12. tear — to rip
  13. lash — to lash out
  14. ball — a dance
  15. calf — a young animal
  16. bank — for money
  17. foot — part of the body
  18. foot — the bottom
  19. bank — of a river
  20. board — to get on
  21. lash — a whip stroke
  22. face — to confront
  23. tear — from crying
  24. calf — a young animal

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