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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. The ________________ took off on time.
  2. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  3. Have you found your soul ________________?
  4. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  5. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  6. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  7. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  8. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  9. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  10. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  11. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  12. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  13. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  14. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  15. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  16. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  17. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  18. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  19. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  20. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  21. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  22. The ________________ went through the wall.
  23. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  24. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — an aircraft
  2. fork — a garden tool
  3. mate — a partner
  4. mine — belonging to me
  5. plane — in geometry
  6. nail — on a finger
  7. toast — bread
  8. mine — an explosive
  9. mine — for digging
  10. toast — the most admired
  11. mate — to breed
  12. mate — a friend
  13. fork — to eat with
  14. calf — a young animal
  15. fork — in a road
  16. nail — for a hammer
  17. lean — to rest against
  18. lean — thin
  19. lean — to bend
  20. calf — a young animal
  21. toast — a drink to someone
  22. nail — for a hammer
  23. calf — of the leg
  24. plane — a tool

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