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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. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  2. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  3. How do you ________________ your surname?
  4. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  5. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  6. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  7. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  8. The ________________ took off on time.
  9. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  10. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  11. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  12. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  13. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  14. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  15. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  16. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  17. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  18. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  19. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  20. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  21. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  22. He is an ace ________________.
  23. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  24. Fill up this ________________ with water.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — a tool
  2. plane — in geometry
  3. spell — letters
  4. pitcher — a jug
  5. bear — the animal
  6. spell — magic
  7. pitch — a sports field
  8. plane — an aircraft
  9. straw — to clutch at straws
  10. calf — a young animal
  11. pitch — a sales talk
  12. tear — from crying
  13. pitch — completely
  14. bear — the animal
  15. straw — a straw man
  16. calf — a young animal
  17. tear — to rip
  18. tear — from crying
  19. spell — a short time
  20. straw — dry grass
  21. calf — of the leg
  22. pitcher — in baseball
  23. bear — to put up with
  24. pitcher — a jug

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