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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. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  2. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  3. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  4. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  5. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  6. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  7. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  8. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  9. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  10. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  11. The ________________ took off on time.
  12. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  13. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  14. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  15. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  16. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  17. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  18. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  19. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  20. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  21. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  22. The ball is in your ________________.
  23. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  24. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — what's left
  2. plane — in geometry
  3. rest — what's left
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. current — happening now
  6. fan — to cool the air
  7. calf — a young animal
  8. chest — of your body
  9. current — electric
  10. plane — a tool
  11. plane — an aircraft
  12. wax — for sculpting
  13. calf — of the leg
  14. current — of water
  15. rest — a break
  16. calf — a young animal
  17. chest — of your body
  18. wax — to grow
  19. wax — in the ear
  20. fan — a supporter
  21. chest — a box
  22. court — for sport
  23. court — of law
  24. court — of a king

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