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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: rash · calf · object · wake · last · chair · chest · face

  1. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  2. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  3. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  4. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  5. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  6. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  7. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  8. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  9. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  10. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  11. Don't do anything ________________.
  12. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  13. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  14. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  15. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  16. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  17. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  18. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  19. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  20. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  21. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  22. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  23. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  24. False peace will not ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. object — an aim
  2. face — part of the head
  3. rash — on the skin
  4. wake — before a funeral
  5. face — to point toward
  6. rash — a series
  7. face — to confront
  8. chest — of your body
  9. chest — a box
  10. chair — to sit on
  11. rash — hasty
  12. chest — of your body
  13. last — finally
  14. calf — of the leg
  15. chair — a professorship
  16. last — final
  17. chair — a leader
  18. object — to protest
  19. calf — a young animal
  20. calf — a young animal
  21. wake — a trail
  22. object — a thing
  23. wake — to stop sleeping
  24. last — to go on

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