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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: stick · fan · calf · season · face · ground · bulb · nail

  1. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  2. I've got to change the light ________________.
  3. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  4. The light ________________ burned out.
  5. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  6. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  7. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  8. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  9. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  10. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  11. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  12. Did you ________________ the meat?
  13. There's no middle ________________.
  14. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  15. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  16. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  17. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  18. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  19. The ________________ went through the wall.
  20. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  21. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  22. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  23. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  24. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?

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

Answer key

  1. season — of the year
  2. bulb — for light
  3. stick — a piece of wood
  4. bulb — for light
  5. fan — a supporter
  6. face — part of the head
  7. calf — of the leg
  8. face — to confront
  9. ground — the earth
  10. calf — a young animal
  11. fan — to cool the air
  12. season — to add flavour
  13. ground — a position
  14. ground — crushed
  15. nail — on a finger
  16. stick — to attach or keep to
  17. season — in sport
  18. stick — a piece of wood
  19. nail — for a hammer
  20. bulb — of a plant
  21. face — to point toward
  22. nail — for a hammer
  23. calf — a young animal
  24. fan — a supporter

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