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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: last · lie · face · calf · season · tube · arm · bay

  1. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  2. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  3. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  4. Did you ________________ the meat?
  5. My mare is ________________ in color.
  6. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  7. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  8. False peace will not ________________.
  9. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  10. I'll be taking the ________________.
  11. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  12. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  13. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  14. My father caught me by the ________________.
  15. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  16. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  17. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  18. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  19. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  20. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  21. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  22. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  23. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  24. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.

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

Answer key

  1. season — of the year
  2. last — final
  3. tube — in a tire
  4. season — to add flavour
  5. bay — a horse colour
  6. calf — of the leg
  7. face — to confront
  8. last — to go on
  9. lie — to recline
  10. tube — the underground
  11. last — finally
  12. bay — a part of the sea
  13. tube — a container
  14. arm — part of the body
  15. lie — an untruth
  16. arm — a part of something
  17. arm — part of the body
  18. face — part of the head
  19. season — in sport
  20. bay — to keep at bay
  21. face — to point toward
  22. lie — an untruth
  23. calf — a young animal
  24. calf — a young animal

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