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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.

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: fall · pit · face · calf · nail · tube · board · rock

  1. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  2. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  3. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  4. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  5. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  6. I'll be taking the ________________.
  7. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  8. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  9. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  10. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  11. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  12. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  13. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  14. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  15. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  16. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  17. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  18. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  19. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  20. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  21. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  22. The ________________ went through the wall.
  23. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  24. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — to move gently
  2. calf — a young animal
  3. face — part of the head
  4. tube — a container
  5. calf — a young animal
  6. tube — the underground
  7. board — a committee
  8. fall — to drop
  9. nail — for a hammer
  10. rock — music
  11. rock — a stone
  12. board — a flat piece
  13. face — to confront
  14. board — to get on
  15. calf — of the leg
  16. pit — a hole
  17. fall — to drop
  18. fall — the season
  19. pit — in a race
  20. face — to point toward
  21. pit — a fruit stone
  22. nail — for a hammer
  23. nail — on a finger
  24. tube — in a tire

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