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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 120 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. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  2. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  3. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  4. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  5. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  6. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  7. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  8. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  9. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  10. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  11. The ________________ took off on time.
  12. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  13. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  14. The ball is in your ________________.
  15. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  16. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  17. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  18. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  19. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  20. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  21. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  22. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  23. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  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. fan — to cool the air
  2. court — of a king
  3. foot — part of the body
  4. wake — to stop sleeping
  5. plane — a tool
  6. wake — before a funeral
  7. pound — a weight
  8. chest — of your body
  9. pound — for dogs
  10. foot — the bottom
  11. plane — an aircraft
  12. fan — a supporter
  13. foot — a measure
  14. court — for sport
  15. plane — in geometry
  16. calf — a young animal
  17. calf — of the leg
  18. fan — a supporter
  19. pound — to hit hard
  20. wake — a trail
  21. chest — of your body
  22. court — of law
  23. chest — a box
  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