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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
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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 · court · face · can · foot · last · present · squash

  1. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  2. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  3. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  4. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  5. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  6. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  7. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  8. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  9. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  10. The ball is in your ________________.
  11. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  12. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  13. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  14. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  15. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  16. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  17. False peace will not ________________.
  18. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  19. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  20. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  21. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  22. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  23. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  24. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.

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

Answer key

  1. face — to point toward
  2. present — there
  3. present — the time now
  4. can — to be able to
  5. squash — the sport
  6. foot — the bottom
  7. can — a tin
  8. face — to confront
  9. foot — part of the body
  10. court — for sport
  11. calf — a young animal
  12. present — a gift
  13. squash — to crush
  14. calf — a young animal
  15. can — a tin
  16. face — part of the head
  17. last — to go on
  18. court — of law
  19. foot — a measure
  20. last — final
  21. calf — of the leg
  22. last — finally
  23. court — of a king
  24. squash — the vegetable

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