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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: calf · mouse · toast · hand · face · court · track · plane

  1. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  2. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  3. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  4. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  5. The ________________ took off on time.
  6. The ball is in your ________________.
  7. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  8. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  9. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  10. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  11. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  12. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  13. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  14. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  15. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  16. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  17. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  18. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  19. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  20. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  21. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  22. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  23. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  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 — of the leg
  2. court — of law
  3. mouse — for a computer
  4. toast — the most admired
  5. plane — an aircraft
  6. court — for sport
  7. face — to confront
  8. mouse — the animal
  9. face — to point toward
  10. court — of a king
  11. calf — a young animal
  12. face — part of the head
  13. hand — part of the body
  14. hand — in cards
  15. toast — a drink to someone
  16. hand — help
  17. toast — bread
  18. calf — a young animal
  19. track — to keep track
  20. plane — in geometry
  21. mouse — the animal
  22. track — a path
  23. track — a song
  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