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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. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  2. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  3. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  4. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  5. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  6. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  7. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  8. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  9. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  10. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  11. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  12. The ________________ took off on time.
  13. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  14. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  15. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  16. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  17. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  18. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  19. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  20. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  21. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  22. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  23. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  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. plane — in geometry
  2. bark — to shout
  3. spring — of water
  4. calf — a young animal
  5. object — an aim
  6. spring — a coil
  7. spring — the season
  8. bark — of a tree
  9. band — a ring
  10. foot — a measure
  11. foot — the bottom
  12. plane — an aircraft
  13. object — to protest
  14. foot — part of the body
  15. object — a thing
  16. calf — of the leg
  17. pound — a weight
  18. calf — a young animal
  19. band — a music group
  20. bark — a dog's sound
  21. pound — to hit hard
  22. band — a rubber band
  23. pound — for dogs
  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