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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 speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  2. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  3. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  4. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  5. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  6. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  7. The ________________ took off on time.
  8. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  9. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  10. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  11. The tickets are free of ________________.
  12. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  13. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  14. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  15. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  16. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  17. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  18. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  19. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  20. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  21. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  22. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  23. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  24. How do you ________________ your surname?

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

Answer key

  1. wake — a trail
  2. calf — a young animal
  3. plane — in geometry
  4. wake — to stop sleeping
  5. leaves — of a tree
  6. spell — magic
  7. plane — an aircraft
  8. wind — to turn a key
  9. leaves — lets stay
  10. calf — of the leg
  11. charge — a price
  12. wind — moving air
  13. charge — in control
  14. wake — before a funeral
  15. field — a subject
  16. wind — moving air
  17. leaves — to go away
  18. plane — a tool
  19. spell — a short time
  20. calf — a young animal
  21. field — farmland
  22. charge — electricity
  23. field — for sport
  24. spell — letters

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