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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. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  2. When are we going to ________________?
  3. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  4. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  5. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  6. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  7. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  8. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  9. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  10. The ________________ took off on time.
  11. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  12. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  13. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  14. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  15. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  16. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  17. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  18. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  19. Have you met the new head ________________?
  20. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  21. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  22. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  23. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  24. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — the animal
  2. land — to come down
  3. dip — to sink
  4. coach — a trainer
  5. plane — a tool
  6. dip — to dunk
  7. lash — a whip stroke
  8. vault — a safe
  9. calf — a young animal
  10. plane — an aircraft
  11. dip — a sauce
  12. vault — an arched ceiling
  13. lash — an eyelash
  14. land — a country
  15. vault — in gymnastics
  16. bear — to put up with
  17. plane — in geometry
  18. bear — the animal
  19. coach — a trainer
  20. land — ground
  21. calf — of the leg
  22. coach — pulled by horses
  23. lash — to lash out
  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