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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: game · pitcher · face · calf · rash · fan · rush · mouse

  1. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  2. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  3. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  4. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  5. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  6. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  7. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  8. Don't do anything ________________.
  9. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  10. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  11. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  12. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  13. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  14. That was a fun ________________.
  15. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  16. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  17. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  18. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  19. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  20. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  21. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  22. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  23. That must've been a ________________.
  24. He is an ace ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. game — wild animals
  2. calf — a young animal
  3. pitcher — a jug
  4. rush — hurry
  5. face — part of the head
  6. pitcher — a jug
  7. rash — on the skin
  8. rash — hasty
  9. fan — a supporter
  10. mouse — for a computer
  11. rash — a series
  12. face — to point toward
  13. rush — to hurry
  14. game — a match
  15. game — a kind of play
  16. fan — to cool the air
  17. calf — a young animal
  18. face — to confront
  19. mouse — the animal
  20. mouse — the animal
  21. calf — of the leg
  22. fan — a supporter
  23. rush — a thrill
  24. pitcher — in baseball

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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