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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: snap · foot · face · field · present · calf · deal · rest

  1. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  2. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  3. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  4. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  5. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  6. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  7. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  8. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  9. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  10. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  11. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  12. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  13. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  14. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  15. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  16. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  17. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  18. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  19. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  20. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  21. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  22. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  23. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  24. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. foot — a measure
  2. deal — to handle
  3. snap — to speak sharply
  4. rest — a break
  5. present — there
  6. calf — of the leg
  7. present — the time now
  8. deal — a big deal
  9. rest — what's left
  10. calf — a young animal
  11. field — farmland
  12. calf — a young animal
  13. face — to point toward
  14. foot — the bottom
  15. foot — part of the body
  16. face — part of the head
  17. face — to confront
  18. snap — to snap out of it
  19. present — a gift
  20. rest — what's left
  21. field — a subject
  22. deal — an agreement
  23. snap — to click
  24. field — for sport

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