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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: date · calf · face · plane · bear · net · game · kid

  1. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  2. That was a fun ________________.
  3. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  4. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  5. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  6. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  7. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  8. The ________________ took off on time.
  9. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  10. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  11. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  12. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  13. Have you settled on a ________________?
  14. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  15. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  16. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  17. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  18. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  19. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  20. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  21. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  22. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  23. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  24. What was your ________________ profit last year?

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

Answer key

  1. plane — a tool
  2. game — a match
  3. kid — to tease
  4. face — to point toward
  5. game — wild animals
  6. bear — the animal
  7. date — on the calendar
  8. plane — an aircraft
  9. plane — in geometry
  10. face — to confront
  11. net — for catching
  12. calf — a young animal
  13. date — on the calendar
  14. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  15. bear — to put up with
  16. bear — the animal
  17. game — a kind of play
  18. kid — child
  19. date — the fruit
  20. net — in sport
  21. calf — of the leg
  22. face — part of the head
  23. calf — a young animal
  24. net — after costs

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