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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. We're almost out of ________________.
  2. You don't need to ________________ round.
  3. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  4. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  5. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  6. The ________________ took off on time.
  7. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  8. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  9. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  10. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  11. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  12. My father caught me by the ________________.
  13. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  14. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  15. Have you met the new head ________________?
  16. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  17. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  18. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  19. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  20. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  21. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  22. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  23. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  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. pop — soda
  2. pop — to visit
  3. plane — in geometry
  4. calf — a young animal
  5. rule — government
  6. plane — an aircraft
  7. can — to be able to
  8. coach — a trainer
  9. plane — a tool
  10. pop — music
  11. fine — a penalty
  12. arm — part of the body
  13. coach — pulled by horses
  14. calf — of the leg
  15. coach — a trainer
  16. can — a tin
  17. fine — all right
  18. fine — high quality
  19. rule — to rule out
  20. can — a tin
  21. rule — a law
  22. arm — a part of something
  23. arm — part of the body
  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