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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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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  2. The ________________ took off on time.
  3. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  4. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  5. Have you met the new head ________________?
  6. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  7. When are we going to ________________?
  8. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  9. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  10. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  11. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  12. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  13. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  14. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  15. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  16. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  17. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  18. He had ________________ pain while walking.

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

Answer key

  1. land — a country
  2. plane — an aircraft
  3. lash — a whip stroke
  4. plane — a tool
  5. coach — a trainer
  6. calf — a young animal
  7. land — to come down
  8. vault — in gymnastics
  9. land — ground
  10. lash — to lash out
  11. vault — an arched ceiling
  12. lash — an eyelash
  13. coach — a trainer
  14. plane — in geometry
  15. calf — a young animal
  16. coach — pulled by horses
  17. vault — a safe
  18. calf — of the leg

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