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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: calf · rest · face · pitcher · key · saw · last · racket

  1. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  2. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  3. She's very handy with a ________________.
  4. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  5. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  6. This piece is in a major ________________.
  7. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  8. He is an ace ________________.
  9. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  10. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  11. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  12. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  13. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  14. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  15. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  16. He works in a ________________ mill.
  17. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  18. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  19. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  20. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  21. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  22. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  23. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  24. False peace will not ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. last — finally
  2. calf — of the leg
  3. saw — the tool
  4. rest — a break
  5. calf — a young animal
  6. key — in music
  7. face — to point toward
  8. pitcher — in baseball
  9. key — the most important part
  10. racket — for tennis
  11. racket — for tennis
  12. last — final
  13. rest — what's left
  14. racket — a loud noise
  15. pitcher — a jug
  16. saw — the tool
  17. key — for a lock
  18. face — part of the head
  19. calf — a young animal
  20. saw — past of 'see'
  21. rest — what's left
  22. pitcher — a jug
  23. face — to confront
  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