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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. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  2. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  3. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  4. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  5. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  6. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  7. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  8. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  9. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  10. The ________________ went through the wall.
  11. The ________________ took off on time.
  12. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  13. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  14. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  15. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  16. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  17. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  18. I can't ________________ this cold.
  19. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  20. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  21. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  22. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  23. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  24. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — on a finger
  2. lean — thin
  3. plane — in geometry
  4. stand — on your feet
  5. trunk — of an elephant
  6. calf — a young animal
  7. fine — a penalty
  8. calf — of the leg
  9. lean — to rest against
  10. nail — for a hammer
  11. plane — an aircraft
  12. fine — high quality
  13. net — after costs
  14. trunk — of a car
  15. calf — a young animal
  16. net — for catching
  17. fine — all right
  18. stand — to bear
  19. nail — for a hammer
  20. trunk — of a tree
  21. plane — a tool
  22. lean — to bend
  23. net — in sport
  24. stand — for spectators

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