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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: toast · plane · date · calf · mate · lean · patient · face

  1. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  2. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  3. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  4. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  5. Have you settled on a ________________?
  6. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  7. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  8. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  9. The ________________ took off on time.
  10. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  11. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  12. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  13. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  14. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  15. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  16. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  17. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  18. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  19. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  20. Have you found your soul ________________?
  21. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  22. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  23. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  24. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — a sick person
  2. mate — to breed
  3. patient — a sick person
  4. mate — a friend
  5. date — on the calendar
  6. patient — calm and waiting
  7. face — to confront
  8. toast — a drink to someone
  9. plane — an aircraft
  10. date — the fruit
  11. lean — to bend
  12. date — on the calendar
  13. calf — of the leg
  14. toast — the most admired
  15. face — part of the head
  16. plane — a tool
  17. calf — a young animal
  18. plane — in geometry
  19. lean — to rest against
  20. mate — a partner
  21. calf — a young animal
  22. lean — thin
  23. toast — bread
  24. face — to point toward

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