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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 would like to have a ________________ here.
  2. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  3. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  4. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  5. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  6. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  7. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  8. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  9. The ________________ took off on time.
  10. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  11. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  12. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  13. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  14. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  15. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  16. When are we going to ________________?
  17. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  18. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  19. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  20. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  21. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  22. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  23. He works in a ________________ mill.
  24. She's very handy with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — a break
  2. foot — a measure
  3. calf — a young animal
  4. content — videos and posts
  5. plane — a tool
  6. calf — of the leg
  7. foot — part of the body
  8. land — ground
  9. plane — an aircraft
  10. firm — decided
  11. plane — in geometry
  12. firm — a company
  13. land — a country
  14. rest — what's left
  15. firm — steady
  16. land — to come down
  17. content — happy
  18. rest — what's left
  19. foot — the bottom
  20. calf — a young animal
  21. saw — past of 'see'
  22. content — the amount
  23. saw — the tool
  24. saw — the tool

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