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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. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  2. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  3. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  4. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  5. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  6. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  7. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  8. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  9. We're on a ________________ here.
  10. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  11. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  12. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  13. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  14. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  15. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  16. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  17. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  18. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  19. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  20. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  21. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  22. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  23. The ________________ took off on time.
  24. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.

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

Answer key

  1. fork — a garden tool
  2. plane — in geometry
  3. calf — of the leg
  4. chest — a box
  5. net — for catching
  6. scale — in music
  7. fork — in a road
  8. scale — size or range
  9. roll — on a roll
  10. chest — of your body
  11. leaves — lets stay
  12. leaves — of a tree
  13. fork — to eat with
  14. calf — a young animal
  15. roll — a cake
  16. plane — a tool
  17. calf — a young animal
  18. leaves — to go away
  19. net — after costs
  20. net — in sport
  21. chest — of your body
  22. scale — for weighing
  23. plane — an aircraft
  24. roll — a list

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