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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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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: race · face · bark · calf · lean · mine · present · chest

  1. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  2. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  3. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  4. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  5. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  6. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  7. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  8. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  9. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  10. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  11. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  12. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  13. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  14. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  15. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  16. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  17. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  18. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  19. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  20. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  21. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  22. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  23. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  24. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.

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

Answer key

  1. present — the time now
  2. face — part of the head
  3. lean — to rest against
  4. chest — a box
  5. bark — a dog's sound
  6. bark — of a tree
  7. present — a gift
  8. mine — belonging to me
  9. chest — of your body
  10. mine — an explosive
  11. race — the arms race
  12. calf — a young animal
  13. face — to point toward
  14. lean — to bend
  15. chest — of your body
  16. face — to confront
  17. race — humankind
  18. calf — of the leg
  19. race — a contest
  20. lean — thin
  21. calf — a young animal
  22. present — there
  23. mine — for digging
  24. bark — to shout

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