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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: face · firm · leaves · mine · stick · calf · drill · squash

  1. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  2. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  3. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  4. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  5. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  6. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  7. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  8. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  9. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  10. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  11. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  12. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  13. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  14. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  15. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  16. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  17. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  18. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  19. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  20. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  21. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  22. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  23. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  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. calf — a young animal
  2. stick — to attach or keep to
  3. firm — decided
  4. squash — to crush
  5. leaves — to go away
  6. leaves — lets stay
  7. drill — army training
  8. stick — a piece of wood
  9. face — to point toward
  10. firm — a company
  11. mine — for digging
  12. mine — belonging to me
  13. calf — a young animal
  14. mine — an explosive
  15. leaves — of a tree
  16. firm — steady
  17. calf — of the leg
  18. drill — the tool
  19. face — part of the head
  20. stick — a piece of wood
  21. squash — the vegetable
  22. drill — a practice
  23. squash — the sport
  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