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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 120 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 giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  2. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  3. The ________________ took off on time.
  4. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  5. She's very handy with a ________________.
  6. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  7. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  8. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  9. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  10. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  11. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  12. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  13. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  14. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  15. He works in a ________________ mill.
  16. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  17. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  18. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  19. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  20. I'll be taking the ________________.
  21. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  22. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  23. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  24. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — a young animal
  2. pound — to hit hard
  3. plane — an aircraft
  4. bore — gave birth
  5. saw — the tool
  6. plane — in geometry
  7. calf — a young animal
  8. saw — past of 'see'
  9. pound — for dogs
  10. bore — to drill
  11. perch — for a bird
  12. cap — a hat
  13. perch — for a bird
  14. cap — of ice
  15. saw — the tool
  16. pound — a weight
  17. tube — in a tire
  18. calf — of the leg
  19. bore — to tire
  20. tube — the underground
  21. cap — a lid
  22. tube — a container
  23. perch — the fish
  24. plane — a tool

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