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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.

Make a worksheet

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: date · mug · wound · face · calf · perch · sharp · snap

  1. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  2. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  3. Have you settled on a ________________?
  4. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  5. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  6. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  7. It's one o'clock ________________.
  8. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  9. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  10. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  11. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  12. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  13. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  14. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  15. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  16. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  17. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  18. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  19. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  20. Where did you ________________ them?
  21. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  22. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  23. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  24. He had ________________ pain while walking.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — a young animal
  2. face — part of the head
  3. date — on the calendar
  4. mug — a cup
  5. wound — an injury
  6. sharp — with an edge
  7. sharp — exactly
  8. perch — the fish
  9. perch — for a bird
  10. snap — to speak sharply
  11. face — to point toward
  12. calf — a young animal
  13. wound — an injury
  14. face — to confront
  15. mug — a face
  16. wound — past of 'wind'
  17. date — on the calendar
  18. snap — to snap out of it
  19. date — the fruit
  20. mug — to rob
  21. sharp — clever
  22. snap — to click
  23. perch — for a bird
  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