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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: bowl · calf · ruler · face · track · patient · lash · wound

  1. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  2. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  3. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  4. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  5. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  6. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  7. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  8. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  9. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  10. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  11. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  12. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  13. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  14. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  15. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  16. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  17. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  18. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  19. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  20. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  21. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  22. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  23. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  24. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. face — to confront
  2. calf — a young animal
  3. face — part of the head
  4. patient — calm and waiting
  5. track — to keep track
  6. bowl — a football final
  7. patient — a sick person
  8. ruler — for measuring
  9. face — to point toward
  10. bowl — a dish
  11. track — a path
  12. wound — an injury
  13. track — a song
  14. wound — past of 'wind'
  15. patient — a sick person
  16. lash — an eyelash
  17. calf — a young animal
  18. ruler — for measuring
  19. bowl — to roll
  20. calf — of the leg
  21. ruler — a monarch
  22. wound — an injury
  23. lash — to lash out
  24. lash — a whip stroke

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