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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 116 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. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  2. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  3. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  4. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  5. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  6. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  7. The ________________ took off on time.
  8. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  9. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  10. How do you ________________ your surname?
  11. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  12. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  13. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  14. When will it ________________ you to start?
  15. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  16. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  17. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  18. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  19. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  20. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  21. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  22. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  23. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  24. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — to move gently
  2. content — happy
  3. content — the amount
  4. plane — a tool
  5. vault — in gymnastics
  6. rock — a stone
  7. plane — an aircraft
  8. calf — a young animal
  9. spell — magic
  10. spell — letters
  11. rock — music
  12. clip — to cut
  13. calf — of the leg
  14. suit — to fit
  15. plane — in geometry
  16. vault — a safe
  17. content — videos and posts
  18. suit — in cards
  19. spell — a short time
  20. vault — an arched ceiling
  21. clip — for paper
  22. suit — clothes
  23. clip — a video
  24. calf — a young animal

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