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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: face · calf · fine · spring · track · bear · tear · club

  1. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  2. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  3. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  4. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  5. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  6. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  7. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  8. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  9. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  10. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  11. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  12. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  13. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  14. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  15. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  16. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  17. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  18. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  19. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  20. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  21. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  22. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  23. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  24. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — the animal
  2. tear — from crying
  3. track — a song
  4. tear — to rip
  5. club — a group
  6. fine — a penalty
  7. bear — to put up with
  8. fine — all right
  9. track — a path
  10. fine — high quality
  11. calf — a young animal
  12. calf — of the leg
  13. tear — from crying
  14. club — for dancing
  15. club — for golf
  16. face — part of the head
  17. face — to point toward
  18. face — to confront
  19. spring — of water
  20. bear — the animal
  21. calf — a young animal
  22. spring — the season
  23. track — to keep track
  24. spring — a coil

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