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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 had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  2. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  3. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  4. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  5. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  6. Did you ________________ the meat?
  7. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  8. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  9. That must've been a ________________.
  10. How do you ________________ your surname?
  11. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  12. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  13. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  14. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  15. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  16. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  17. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  18. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  19. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  20. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  21. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  22. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  23. The ________________ took off on time.
  24. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.

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

Answer key

  1. kid — child
  2. plane — in geometry
  3. calf — of the leg
  4. calf — a young animal
  5. leaves — to go away
  6. season — to add flavour
  7. spell — a short time
  8. plane — a tool
  9. rush — a thrill
  10. spell — letters
  11. calf — a young animal
  12. season — of the year
  13. rule — a law
  14. rule — to rule out
  15. season — in sport
  16. rush — to hurry
  17. spell — magic
  18. leaves — of a tree
  19. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  20. kid — to tease
  21. rule — government
  22. rush — hurry
  23. plane — an aircraft
  24. leaves — lets stay

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