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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. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  2. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  3. Don't do anything ________________.
  4. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  5. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  6. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  7. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  8. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  9. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  10. The ________________ took off on time.
  11. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  12. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  13. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  14. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  15. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  16. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  17. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  18. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  19. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  20. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  21. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  22. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  23. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  24. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mine — an explosive
  2. calf — a young animal
  3. rash — hasty
  4. mine — for digging
  5. calf — of the leg
  6. pound — to hit hard
  7. pound — a weight
  8. scale — for weighing
  9. vault — an arched ceiling
  10. plane — an aircraft
  11. calf — a young animal
  12. vault — a safe
  13. rash — on the skin
  14. scale — size or range
  15. mine — belonging to me
  16. plane — in geometry
  17. vault — in gymnastics
  18. plane — a tool
  19. racket — for tennis
  20. pound — for dogs
  21. rash — a series
  22. racket — for tennis
  23. racket — a loud noise
  24. scale — in music

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