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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. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  2. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  3. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  4. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  5. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  6. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  7. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  8. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  9. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  10. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  11. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  12. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  13. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  14. The ________________ took off on time.
  15. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  16. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  17. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  18. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  19. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  20. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  21. I can't ________________ this cold.
  22. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  23. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  24. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — for tennis
  2. spring — of water
  3. stand — on your feet
  4. wind — moving air
  5. cap — a hat
  6. calf — a young animal
  7. spring — the season
  8. calf — a young animal
  9. dip — a sauce
  10. dip — to sink
  11. cap — a lid
  12. spring — a coil
  13. wind — to turn a key
  14. plane — an aircraft
  15. wind — moving air
  16. plane — a tool
  17. dip — to dunk
  18. racket — for tennis
  19. plane — in geometry
  20. stand — for spectators
  21. stand — to bear
  22. cap — of ice
  23. calf — of the leg
  24. racket — a loud noise

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