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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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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 · foot · file · chair · lie · rest · fork · calf

  1. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  2. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  3. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  4. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  5. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  6. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  7. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  8. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  9. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  10. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  11. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  12. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  13. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  14. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  15. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  16. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  17. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  18. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  19. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  20. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  21. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  22. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  23. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  24. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a line of people
  2. rest — what's left
  3. fork — a garden tool
  4. fork — to eat with
  5. rest — a break
  6. face — part of the head
  7. face — to point toward
  8. face — to confront
  9. chair — to sit on
  10. lie — an untruth
  11. chair — a leader
  12. lie — an untruth
  13. fork — in a road
  14. foot — a measure
  15. foot — the bottom
  16. calf — a young animal
  17. lie — to recline
  18. calf — of the leg
  19. file — a tool
  20. chair — a professorship
  21. rest — what's left
  22. foot — part of the body
  23. calf — a young animal
  24. file — a document

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