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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. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  2. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  3. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  4. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  5. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  6. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  7. The ________________ took off on time.
  8. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  9. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  10. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  11. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  12. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  13. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  14. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  15. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  16. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  17. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  18. That must've been a ________________.
  19. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  20. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  21. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  22. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  23. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  24. This piece is in a major ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — a penalty
  2. calf — a young animal
  3. rush — hurry
  4. key — for a lock
  5. mine — for digging
  6. plane — a tool
  7. plane — an aircraft
  8. plane — in geometry
  9. stick — a piece of wood
  10. mine — belonging to me
  11. fine — high quality
  12. stick — to attach or keep to
  13. stick — a piece of wood
  14. fine — all right
  15. key — the most important part
  16. bark — of a tree
  17. bark — a dog's sound
  18. rush — a thrill
  19. mine — an explosive
  20. bark — to shout
  21. rush — to hurry
  22. calf — a young animal
  23. calf — of the leg
  24. key — in music

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