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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: lie · wave · staff · net · spell · calf · face · pitcher

  1. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  2. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  3. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  4. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  5. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  6. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  7. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  8. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  9. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  10. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  11. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  12. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  13. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  14. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  15. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  16. How do you ________________ your surname?
  17. He is an ace ________________.
  18. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  19. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  20. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  21. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  22. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  23. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  24. The ball hit the back of the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — a short time
  2. staff — employees
  3. lie — an untruth
  4. calf — of the leg
  5. calf — a young animal
  6. net — after costs
  7. face — to confront
  8. pitcher — a jug
  9. face — to point toward
  10. lie — to recline
  11. staff — employees
  12. wave — with your hand
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. staff — a stick
  15. wave — a sudden rise
  16. spell — letters
  17. pitcher — in baseball
  18. spell — magic
  19. face — part of the head
  20. wave — of the sea
  21. pitcher — a jug
  22. calf — a young animal
  23. net — for catching
  24. net — in sport

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