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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. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  2. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  3. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  4. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  5. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  6. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  7. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  8. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  9. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  10. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  11. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  12. We're on a ________________ here.
  13. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  14. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  15. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  16. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  17. The ________________ took off on time.
  18. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  19. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  20. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  21. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  22. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  23. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  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. roll — a cake
  2. board — a committee
  3. plane — a tool
  4. shower — rain
  5. dip — a sauce
  6. shower — a meteor shower
  7. calf — a young animal
  8. field — farmland
  9. board — a flat piece
  10. deal — an agreement
  11. plane — in geometry
  12. roll — on a roll
  13. dip — to dunk
  14. roll — a list
  15. field — for sport
  16. deal — to handle
  17. plane — an aircraft
  18. dip — to sink
  19. board — to get on
  20. calf — of the leg
  21. deal — a big deal
  22. field — a subject
  23. shower — to wash
  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