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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. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  2. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  3. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  4. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  5. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  6. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  7. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  8. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  9. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  10. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  11. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  12. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  13. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  14. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  15. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  16. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  17. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  18. The ________________ took off on time.
  19. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  20. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  21. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  22. The water is too ________________.
  23. Where did you ________________ them?
  24. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?

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

Answer key

  1. plane — a tool
  2. mug — a face
  3. fan — a supporter
  4. calf — a young animal
  5. fan — to cool the air
  6. plane — in geometry
  7. current — electric
  8. mug — a cup
  9. cold — the Cold War
  10. march — music
  11. bore — gave birth
  12. calf — of the leg
  13. march — the month
  14. current — of water
  15. calf — a young animal
  16. bore — to drill
  17. cold — an illness
  18. plane — an aircraft
  19. current — happening now
  20. march — the month
  21. bore — to tire
  22. cold — not warm
  23. mug — to rob
  24. fan — a supporter

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