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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.

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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: face · calf · rush · stick · rest · rash · hide · clip

  1. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  2. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  3. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  4. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  5. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  6. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  7. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  8. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  9. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  10. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  11. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  12. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  13. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  14. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  15. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  16. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  17. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  18. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  19. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  20. Don't do anything ________________.
  21. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  22. That must've been a ________________.
  23. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  24. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — a piece of wood
  2. stick — a piece of wood
  3. face — to point toward
  4. clip — for paper
  5. clip — a video
  6. face — part of the head
  7. calf — a young animal
  8. clip — to cut
  9. rash — on the skin
  10. rest — what's left
  11. rest — a break
  12. hide — to keep secret
  13. rash — a series
  14. rush — to hurry
  15. hide — animal skin
  16. rush — hurry
  17. hide — to keep secret
  18. calf — a young animal
  19. rest — what's left
  20. rash — hasty
  21. calf — of the leg
  22. rush — a thrill
  23. face — to confront
  24. stick — to attach or keep to

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