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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 124 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: straw · branch · calf · face · arm · toast · rest · fall

  1. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  2. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  3. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  4. My father caught me by the ________________.
  5. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  6. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  7. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  8. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  9. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  10. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  11. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  12. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  13. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  14. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  15. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  16. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  17. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  18. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  19. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  20. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  21. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  22. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  23. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  24. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.

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

Answer key

  1. face — to point toward
  2. fall — to drop
  3. toast — the most admired
  4. arm — part of the body
  5. face — part of the head
  6. rest — what's left
  7. straw — to clutch at straws
  8. toast — bread
  9. face — to confront
  10. branch — of a bank
  11. straw — dry grass
  12. calf — a young animal
  13. toast — a drink to someone
  14. branch — a division
  15. calf — of the leg
  16. fall — to drop
  17. fall — the season
  18. branch — of a tree
  19. arm — part of the body
  20. straw — a straw man
  21. rest — what's left
  22. rest — a break
  23. arm — a part of something
  24. calf — a young animal

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