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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 · mark · saw · toast · lash · patient · foot · face

  1. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  2. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  3. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  4. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  5. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  6. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  7. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  8. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  9. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  10. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  11. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  12. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  13. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  14. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  15. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  16. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  17. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  18. She's very handy with a ________________.
  19. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  20. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  21. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  22. He works in a ________________ mill.
  23. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  24. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — to lash out
  2. foot — the bottom
  3. mark — a grade
  4. patient — calm and waiting
  5. face — to confront
  6. calf — a young animal
  7. mark — a trace
  8. foot — a measure
  9. toast — bread
  10. toast — a drink to someone
  11. foot — part of the body
  12. calf — a young animal
  13. saw — past of 'see'
  14. face — to point toward
  15. lash — an eyelash
  16. lash — a whip stroke
  17. patient — a sick person
  18. saw — the tool
  19. face — part of the head
  20. calf — of the leg
  21. patient — a sick person
  22. saw — the tool
  23. mark — to pay attention
  24. toast — the most admired

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