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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.

Make a worksheet

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. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  2. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  3. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  4. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  5. That was a fun ________________.
  6. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  7. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  8. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  9. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  10. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  11. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  12. The ________________ took off on time.
  13. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  14. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  15. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  16. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  17. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  18. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.

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

Answer key

  1. march — the month
  2. march — the month
  3. calf — of the leg
  4. calf — a young animal
  5. game — a match
  6. bowl — a dish
  7. calf — a young animal
  8. game — wild animals
  9. wind — to turn a key
  10. bowl — to roll
  11. plane — in geometry
  12. plane — an aircraft
  13. march — music
  14. wind — moving air
  15. plane — a tool
  16. game — a kind of play
  17. bowl — a football final
  18. wind — moving air

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