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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 116 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. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  2. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  3. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  4. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  5. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  6. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  7. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  8. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  9. Did you ________________ the meat?
  10. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  11. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  12. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  13. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  14. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  15. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  16. The ________________ took off on time.
  17. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  18. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  19. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  20. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  21. False peace will not ________________.
  22. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  23. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  24. I'll be taking the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fall — the season
  2. chair — to sit on
  3. calf — of the leg
  4. tube — a container
  5. fall — to drop
  6. plane — in geometry
  7. calf — a young animal
  8. last — finally
  9. season — to add flavour
  10. perch — the fish
  11. season — of the year
  12. perch — for a bird
  13. last — final
  14. season — in sport
  15. tube — in a tire
  16. plane — an aircraft
  17. perch — for a bird
  18. calf — a young animal
  19. plane — a tool
  20. fall — to drop
  21. last — to go on
  22. chair — a professorship
  23. chair — a leader
  24. tube — the underground

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