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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. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  2. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  3. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  4. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  5. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  6. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  7. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  8. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  9. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  10. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  11. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  12. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  13. The ________________ took off on time.
  14. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  15. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  16. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  17. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  18. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  19. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  20. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  21. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  22. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  23. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  24. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — of the leg
  2. leaves — lets stay
  3. content — the amount
  4. pound — for dogs
  5. content — happy
  6. row — to paddle
  7. row — a line
  8. pound — a weight
  9. prune — to trim
  10. prune — the fruit
  11. content — videos and posts
  12. calf — a young animal
  13. plane — an aircraft
  14. calf — a young animal
  15. plane — a tool
  16. pound — to hit hard
  17. lash — to lash out
  18. row — a quarrel
  19. prune — to trim
  20. lash — a whip stroke
  21. leaves — to go away
  22. leaves — of a tree
  23. lash — an eyelash
  24. plane — in geometry

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