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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: hide · game · plane · tear · face · mate · season · calf

  1. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  2. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  3. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  4. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  5. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  6. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  7. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  8. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  9. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  10. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  11. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  12. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  13. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  14. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  15. That was a fun ________________.
  16. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  17. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  18. Did you ________________ the meat?
  19. The ________________ took off on time.
  20. Have you found your soul ________________?
  21. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  22. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  23. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  24. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?

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

Answer key

  1. plane — a tool
  2. hide — to keep secret
  3. calf — a young animal
  4. face — to point toward
  5. hide — to keep secret
  6. tear — to rip
  7. mate — to breed
  8. face — part of the head
  9. calf — a young animal
  10. season — of the year
  11. game — wild animals
  12. season — in sport
  13. tear — from crying
  14. game — a kind of play
  15. game — a match
  16. tear — from crying
  17. face — to confront
  18. season — to add flavour
  19. plane — an aircraft
  20. mate — a partner
  21. calf — of the leg
  22. hide — animal skin
  23. plane — in geometry
  24. mate — a friend

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