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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. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  2. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  3. Have you met the new head ________________?
  4. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  5. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  6. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  7. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  8. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  9. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  10. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  11. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  12. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  13. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  14. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  15. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  16. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  17. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  18. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  19. The ________________ took off on time.
  20. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  21. Have you found your soul ________________?
  22. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  23. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  24. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.

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

Answer key

  1. mate — to breed
  2. plane — a tool
  3. coach — a trainer
  4. plane — in geometry
  5. shower — to wash
  6. shower — rain
  7. calf — a young animal
  8. safe — out of danger
  9. calf — of the leg
  10. degree — from a university
  11. deal — an agreement
  12. mate — a friend
  13. deal — to handle
  14. degree — an amount
  15. coach — a trainer
  16. shower — a meteor shower
  17. deal — a big deal
  18. calf — a young animal
  19. plane — an aircraft
  20. safe — out of danger
  21. mate — a partner
  22. coach — pulled by horses
  23. safe — a strongbox
  24. degree — temperature

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