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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: face · straw · calf · degree · bay · chest · board · fall

  1. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  2. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  3. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  4. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  5. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  6. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  7. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  8. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  9. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  10. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  11. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  12. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  13. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  14. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  15. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  16. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  17. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  18. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  19. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  20. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  21. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  22. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  23. My mare is ________________ in color.
  24. She had a strange look on her ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fall — the season
  2. board — a committee
  3. bay — to keep at bay
  4. chest — a box
  5. calf — of the leg
  6. bay — a part of the sea
  7. chest — of your body
  8. degree — an amount
  9. degree — from a university
  10. chest — of your body
  11. fall — to drop
  12. board — a flat piece
  13. straw — a straw man
  14. straw — dry grass
  15. board — to get on
  16. calf — a young animal
  17. calf — a young animal
  18. fall — to drop
  19. straw — to clutch at straws
  20. face — to point toward
  21. degree — temperature
  22. face — to confront
  23. bay — a horse colour
  24. face — part of the head

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