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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: lie · fork · wake · field · bay · hide · calf · face

  1. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  2. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  3. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  4. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  5. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  6. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  7. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  8. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  9. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  10. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  11. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  12. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  13. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  14. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  15. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  16. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  17. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  18. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  19. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  20. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  21. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  22. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  23. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  24. My mare is ________________ in color.

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

Answer key

  1. bay — to keep at bay
  2. face — part of the head
  3. wake — before a funeral
  4. lie — an untruth
  5. calf — of the leg
  6. face — to point toward
  7. wake — to stop sleeping
  8. hide — to keep secret
  9. face — to confront
  10. fork — in a road
  11. calf — a young animal
  12. wake — a trail
  13. hide — animal skin
  14. lie — to recline
  15. fork — a garden tool
  16. fork — to eat with
  17. calf — a young animal
  18. lie — an untruth
  19. bay — a part of the sea
  20. field — farmland
  21. field — a subject
  22. field — for sport
  23. hide — to keep secret
  24. bay — a horse colour

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