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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
468
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: plane · squash · bore · toast · clip · calf · face · stand

  1. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  2. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  3. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  4. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  5. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  6. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  7. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  8. The ________________ took off on time.
  9. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  10. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  11. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  12. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  13. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  14. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  15. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  16. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  17. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  18. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  19. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  20. I can't ________________ this cold.
  21. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  22. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  23. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  24. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — on your feet
  2. toast — the most admired
  3. clip — to cut
  4. bore — to drill
  5. face — part of the head
  6. face — to confront
  7. plane — a tool
  8. plane — an aircraft
  9. calf — a young animal
  10. plane — in geometry
  11. bore — gave birth
  12. clip — for paper
  13. toast — bread
  14. bore — to tire
  15. squash — to crush
  16. calf — a young animal
  17. clip — a video
  18. toast — a drink to someone
  19. squash — the vegetable
  20. stand — to bear
  21. face — to point toward
  22. squash — the sport
  23. calf — of the leg
  24. stand — for spectators

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