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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: dip · stand · lean · tube · face · wake · calf · saw

  1. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  2. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  3. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  4. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  5. She's very handy with a ________________.
  6. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  7. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  8. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  9. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  10. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  11. I can't ________________ this cold.
  12. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  13. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  14. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  15. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  16. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  17. He works in a ________________ mill.
  18. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  19. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  20. I'll be taking the ________________.
  21. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  22. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  23. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  24. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — a sauce
  2. lean — thin
  3. calf — of the leg
  4. face — part of the head
  5. saw — the tool
  6. wake — a trail
  7. lean — to bend
  8. dip — to sink
  9. stand — for spectators
  10. calf — a young animal
  11. stand — to bear
  12. wake — to stop sleeping
  13. tube — a container
  14. lean — to rest against
  15. calf — a young animal
  16. wake — before a funeral
  17. saw — the tool
  18. stand — on your feet
  19. face — to point toward
  20. tube — the underground
  21. tube — in a tire
  22. dip — to dunk
  23. face — to confront
  24. saw — past of 'see'

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