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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. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  2. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  3. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  4. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  5. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  6. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  7. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  8. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  9. The ________________ took off on time.
  10. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  11. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  12. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  13. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  14. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  15. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  16. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  17. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  18. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  19. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  20. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  21. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  22. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  23. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  24. I would like to have a ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — in geometry
  2. lash — a whip stroke
  3. calf — a young animal
  4. pound — a weight
  5. march — the month
  6. march — music
  7. calf — of the leg
  8. pound — for dogs
  9. plane — an aircraft
  10. lie — an untruth
  11. lash — an eyelash
  12. calf — a young animal
  13. lie — to recline
  14. march — the month
  15. lash — to lash out
  16. rest — what's left
  17. file — a document
  18. file — a line of people
  19. rest — what's left
  20. pound — to hit hard
  21. file — a tool
  22. plane — a tool
  23. lie — an untruth
  24. rest — a break

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