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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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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: bulb · saw · calf · kick · foot · wound · lean · face

  1. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  2. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  3. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  4. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  5. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  6. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  7. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  8. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  9. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  10. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  11. He works in a ________________ mill.
  12. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  13. I've got to change the light ________________.
  14. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  15. She's very handy with a ________________.
  16. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  17. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  18. The light ________________ burned out.
  19. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  20. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  21. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  22. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  23. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  24. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.

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

Answer key

  1. face — to point toward
  2. face — part of the head
  3. wound — an injury
  4. calf — a young animal
  5. kick — a thrill
  6. foot — part of the body
  7. lean — thin
  8. lean — to bend
  9. wound — an injury
  10. bulb — of a plant
  11. saw — the tool
  12. calf — a young animal
  13. bulb — for light
  14. foot — a measure
  15. saw — the tool
  16. lean — to rest against
  17. foot — the bottom
  18. bulb — for light
  19. calf — of the leg
  20. kick — with a leg
  21. saw — past of 'see'
  22. kick — in football
  23. wound — past of 'wind'
  24. face — to confront

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