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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. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  2. The ________________ took off on time.
  3. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  4. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  5. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  6. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  7. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  8. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  9. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  10. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  11. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  12. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  13. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  14. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  15. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  16. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  17. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  18. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  19. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  20. I'll be taking the ________________.
  21. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  22. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  23. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  24. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!

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

Answer key

  1. staff — employees
  2. plane — an aircraft
  3. calf — a young animal
  4. plane — a tool
  5. drill — army training
  6. net — for catching
  7. wake — before a funeral
  8. net — in sport
  9. plane — in geometry
  10. calf — a young animal
  11. calf — of the leg
  12. tube — in a tire
  13. staff — employees
  14. wake — to stop sleeping
  15. tube — a container
  16. net — after costs
  17. drill — the tool
  18. wake — a trail
  19. bear — the animal
  20. tube — the underground
  21. bear — the animal
  22. drill — a practice
  23. staff — a stick
  24. bear — to put up with

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