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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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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: lie · face · calf · stick · plane · bulb · mate · band

  1. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  2. The ________________ took off on time.
  3. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  4. Have you found your soul ________________?
  5. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  6. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  7. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  8. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  9. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  10. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  11. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  12. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  13. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  14. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  15. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  16. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  17. The light ________________ burned out.
  18. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  19. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  20. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  21. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  22. I've got to change the light ________________.
  23. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  24. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — a young animal
  2. plane — an aircraft
  3. plane — in geometry
  4. mate — a partner
  5. calf — a young animal
  6. face — part of the head
  7. calf — of the leg
  8. band — a music group
  9. lie — an untruth
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. stick — a piece of wood
  12. lie — an untruth
  13. band — a ring
  14. stick — to attach or keep to
  15. face — to point toward
  16. lie — to recline
  17. bulb — for light
  18. mate — a friend
  19. band — a rubber band
  20. bulb — of a plant
  21. face — to confront
  22. bulb — for light
  23. mate — to breed
  24. plane — a tool

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