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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 120 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: spell · arm · present · calf · face · board · race · fall

  1. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  2. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  3. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  4. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  5. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  6. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  7. My father caught me by the ________________.
  8. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  9. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  10. How do you ________________ your surname?
  11. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  12. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  13. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  14. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  15. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  16. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  17. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  18. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  19. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  20. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  21. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  22. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  23. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  24. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.

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

Answer key

  1. arm — a part of something
  2. present — the time now
  3. face — to point toward
  4. race — humankind
  5. calf — a young animal
  6. present — a gift
  7. arm — part of the body
  8. board — a flat piece
  9. spell — magic
  10. spell — letters
  11. arm — part of the body
  12. fall — to drop
  13. race — a contest
  14. race — the arms race
  15. board — to get on
  16. board — a committee
  17. face — part of the head
  18. face — to confront
  19. fall — to drop
  20. present — there
  21. fall — the season
  22. calf — of the leg
  23. spell — a short time
  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