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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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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  2. Have you settled on a ________________?
  3. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  4. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  5. The ________________ took off on time.
  6. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  7. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  8. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  9. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  10. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  11. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  12. How do you ________________ your surname?
  13. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  14. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  15. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  16. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  17. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  18. Have you met the new head ________________?
  19. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  20. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  21. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  22. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  23. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  24. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — in geometry
  2. date — on the calendar
  3. straw — a straw man
  4. face — part of the head
  5. plane — an aircraft
  6. kick — with a leg
  7. calf — a young animal
  8. straw — dry grass
  9. calf — of the leg
  10. spell — a short time
  11. coach — a trainer
  12. spell — letters
  13. spell — magic
  14. kick — in football
  15. plane — a tool
  16. calf — a young animal
  17. date — on the calendar
  18. coach — a trainer
  19. face — to point toward
  20. coach — pulled by horses
  21. date — the fruit
  22. kick — a thrill
  23. straw — to clutch at straws
  24. face — to confront

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