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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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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: calf · land · coach · firm · safe · track · chest · face

  1. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  2. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  3. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  4. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  5. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  6. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  7. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  8. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  9. Have you met the new head ________________?
  10. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  11. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  12. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  13. When are we going to ________________?
  14. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  15. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  16. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  17. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  18. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  19. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  20. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  21. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  22. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  23. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  24. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — of the leg
  2. track — a song
  3. safe — a strongbox
  4. calf — a young animal
  5. coach — pulled by horses
  6. face — to confront
  7. coach — a trainer
  8. track — to keep track
  9. coach — a trainer
  10. chest — of your body
  11. face — to point toward
  12. firm — steady
  13. land — to come down
  14. firm — decided
  15. calf — a young animal
  16. safe — out of danger
  17. track — a path
  18. firm — a company
  19. chest — of your body
  20. safe — out of danger
  21. land — ground
  22. land — a country
  23. face — part of the head
  24. chest — a box

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