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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
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: dip · spring · mug · bark · bear · calf · face · bay

  1. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  2. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  3. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  4. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  5. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  6. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  7. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  8. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  9. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  10. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  11. My mare is ________________ in color.
  12. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  13. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  14. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  15. Where did you ________________ them?
  16. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  17. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  18. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  19. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  20. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  21. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  22. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  23. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  24. A black ________________ roamed the forest.

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

Answer key

  1. face — to confront
  2. calf — a young animal
  3. bear — to put up with
  4. calf — a young animal
  5. mug — a face
  6. spring — the season
  7. mug — a cup
  8. face — part of the head
  9. bear — the animal
  10. bay — a part of the sea
  11. bay — a horse colour
  12. dip — to sink
  13. bark — a dog's sound
  14. calf — of the leg
  15. mug — to rob
  16. spring — a coil
  17. face — to point toward
  18. bark — to shout
  19. bay — to keep at bay
  20. spring — of water
  21. dip — to dunk
  22. dip — a sauce
  23. bark — of a tree
  24. bear — the 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