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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.

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: mouse · toast · lie · kid · face · pitcher · plane · roll

  1. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  2. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  3. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  4. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  5. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  6. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  7. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  8. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  9. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  10. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  11. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  12. We're on a ________________ here.
  13. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  14. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  15. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  16. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  17. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  18. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  19. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  20. He is an ace ________________.
  21. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  22. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  23. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  24. The ________________ took off on time.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — for a computer
  2. toast — the most admired
  3. kid — to tease
  4. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  5. mouse — the animal
  6. lie — an untruth
  7. toast — bread
  8. mouse — the animal
  9. lie — to recline
  10. roll — a cake
  11. lie — an untruth
  12. roll — on a roll
  13. plane — a tool
  14. roll — a list
  15. kid — child
  16. toast — a drink to someone
  17. face — part of the head
  18. plane — in geometry
  19. pitcher — a jug
  20. pitcher — in baseball
  21. face — to point toward
  22. pitcher — a jug
  23. face — to confront
  24. plane — an aircraft

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