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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 124 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. She's very handy with a ________________.
  2. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  3. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  4. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  5. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  6. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  7. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  8. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  9. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  10. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  11. Have you settled on a ________________?
  12. The ________________ took off on time.
  13. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  14. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  15. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  16. Where did you ________________ them?
  17. He works in a ________________ mill.
  18. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  19. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  20. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  21. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  22. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  23. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  24. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — the tool
  2. plane — a tool
  3. current — happening now
  4. calf — a young animal
  5. mug — a cup
  6. saw — past of 'see'
  7. plane — in geometry
  8. stick — a piece of wood
  9. date — on the calendar
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. date — on the calendar
  12. plane — an aircraft
  13. current — of water
  14. calf — of the leg
  15. current — electric
  16. mug — to rob
  17. saw — the tool
  18. stick — to attach or keep to
  19. dip — to sink
  20. dip — a sauce
  21. calf — a young animal
  22. date — the fruit
  23. dip — to dunk
  24. mug — a face

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