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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.

Make a worksheet

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 · key · straw · arm · calf · bass · field · bulb

  1. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  2. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  3. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  4. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  5. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  6. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  7. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  8. This piece is in a major ________________.
  9. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  10. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  11. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  12. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  13. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  14. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  15. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  16. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  17. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  18. My father caught me by the ________________.
  19. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  20. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  21. I've got to change the light ________________.
  22. The light ________________ burned out.
  23. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  24. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. face — to point toward
  2. calf — a young animal
  3. bass — low music
  4. straw — dry grass
  5. bulb — of a plant
  6. face — part of the head
  7. bass — the fish
  8. key — in music
  9. field — for sport
  10. arm — part of the body
  11. calf — a young animal
  12. arm — a part of something
  13. field — a subject
  14. key — for a lock
  15. field — farmland
  16. straw — a straw man
  17. key — the most important part
  18. arm — part of the body
  19. bass — the instrument
  20. calf — of the leg
  21. bulb — for light
  22. bulb — for light
  23. face — to confront
  24. straw — to clutch at straws

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