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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: lean · rest · mark · fan · net · ground · calf · face

  1. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  2. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  3. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  4. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  5. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  6. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  7. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  8. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  9. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  10. There's no middle ________________.
  11. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  12. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  13. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  14. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  15. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  16. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  17. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  18. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  19. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  20. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  21. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  22. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  23. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  24. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.

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

Answer key

  1. face — to confront
  2. mark — a trace
  3. fan — a supporter
  4. fan — to cool the air
  5. ground — the earth
  6. net — for catching
  7. net — in sport
  8. face — part of the head
  9. fan — a supporter
  10. ground — a position
  11. net — after costs
  12. calf — a young animal
  13. lean — thin
  14. rest — what's left
  15. lean — to rest against
  16. mark — a grade
  17. calf — of the leg
  18. rest — a break
  19. lean — to bend
  20. ground — crushed
  21. mark — to pay attention
  22. face — to point toward
  23. calf — a young animal
  24. rest — what's left

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