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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: court · lean · key · calf · face · spring · kick · present

  1. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  2. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  3. This piece is in a major ________________.
  4. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  5. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  6. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  7. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  8. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  9. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  10. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  11. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  12. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  13. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  14. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  15. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  16. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  17. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  18. The ball is in your ________________.
  19. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  20. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  21. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  22. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  23. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  24. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.

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

Answer key

  1. spring — of water
  2. present — a gift
  3. key — in music
  4. calf — of the leg
  5. face — to confront
  6. key — the most important part
  7. calf — a young animal
  8. present — the time now
  9. face — part of the head
  10. spring — a coil
  11. lean — to bend
  12. court — of law
  13. calf — a young animal
  14. face — to point toward
  15. kick — in football
  16. present — there
  17. lean — thin
  18. court — for sport
  19. spring — the season
  20. kick — a thrill
  21. kick — with a leg
  22. key — for a lock
  23. court — of a king
  24. lean — to rest against

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