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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 120 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: rash · face · hide · calf · snap · ball · bound · trunk

  1. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  2. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  3. That was ________________ to happen.
  4. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  5. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  6. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  7. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  8. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  9. The King held a masked ________________.
  10. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  11. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  12. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  13. Don't do anything ________________.
  14. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  15. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  16. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  17. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  18. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  19. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  20. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  21. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  22. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  23. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  24. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?

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

Answer key

  1. calf — a young animal
  2. face — to point toward
  3. bound — certain
  4. ball — a great time
  5. face — part of the head
  6. snap — to snap out of it
  7. trunk — of a car
  8. face — to confront
  9. ball — a dance
  10. bound — obliged
  11. bound — tied together
  12. trunk — of an elephant
  13. rash — hasty
  14. calf — a young animal
  15. rash — on the skin
  16. ball — a round shape
  17. trunk — of a tree
  18. hide — animal skin
  19. hide — to keep secret
  20. calf — of the leg
  21. snap — to click
  22. rash — a series
  23. snap — to speak sharply
  24. hide — to keep secret

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