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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. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  2. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  3. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  4. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  5. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  6. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  7. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  8. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  9. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  10. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  11. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  12. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  13. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  14. That must've been a ________________.
  15. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  16. The ________________ took off on time.
  17. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  18. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  19. Have you settled on a ________________?
  20. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  21. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  22. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  23. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  24. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — in geometry
  2. firm — a company
  3. calf — a young animal
  4. firm — steady
  5. rush — to hurry
  6. degree — from a university
  7. firm — decided
  8. row — a line
  9. stem — of a plant
  10. calf — of the leg
  11. stem — to come from
  12. rush — hurry
  13. date — on the calendar
  14. rush — a thrill
  15. stem — a stem cell
  16. plane — an aircraft
  17. degree — an amount
  18. plane — a tool
  19. date — on the calendar
  20. calf — a young animal
  21. row — a quarrel
  22. date — the fruit
  23. degree — temperature
  24. row — to paddle

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