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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. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  2. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  3. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  4. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  5. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  6. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  7. He works in a ________________ mill.
  8. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  9. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  10. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  11. What do you think of the new ________________?
  12. There's no middle ________________.
  13. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  14. She's very handy with a ________________.
  15. The ball is in your ________________.
  16. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  17. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  18. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  19. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  20. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  21. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  22. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  23. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  24. The ________________ took off on time.

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

Answer key

  1. fall — to drop
  2. calf — a young animal
  3. bowl — a dish
  4. ground — crushed
  5. fall — to drop
  6. calf — a young animal
  7. saw — the tool
  8. cabinet — ministers
  9. bowl — to roll
  10. plane — in geometry
  11. cabinet — ministers
  12. ground — a position
  13. saw — past of 'see'
  14. saw — the tool
  15. court — for sport
  16. calf — of the leg
  17. cabinet — a cupboard
  18. fall — the season
  19. ground — the earth
  20. court — of a king
  21. court — of law
  22. bowl — a football final
  23. plane — a tool
  24. plane — an aircraft

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