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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: calf · mine · face · present · bowl · spring · object · nail

  1. The ________________ went through the wall.
  2. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  3. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  4. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  5. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  6. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  7. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  8. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  9. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  10. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  11. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  12. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  13. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  14. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  15. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  16. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  17. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  18. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  19. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  20. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  21. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  22. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  23. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  24. He had ________________ pain while walking.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — for a hammer
  2. mine — an explosive
  3. object — to protest
  4. present — a gift
  5. nail — for a hammer
  6. calf — a young animal
  7. face — part of the head
  8. nail — on a finger
  9. face — to confront
  10. present — the time now
  11. object — a thing
  12. spring — the season
  13. face — to point toward
  14. spring — a coil
  15. present — there
  16. mine — for digging
  17. mine — belonging to me
  18. object — an aim
  19. spring — of water
  20. bowl — a football final
  21. calf — a young animal
  22. bowl — to roll
  23. bowl — a dish
  24. calf — of the leg

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