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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. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  2. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  3. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  4. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  5. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  6. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  7. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  8. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  9. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  10. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  11. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  12. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  13. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  14. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  15. She's very handy with a ________________.
  16. The ________________ took off on time.
  17. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  18. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  19. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  20. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  21. He works in a ________________ mill.
  22. He was locked up in a ________________.
  23. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  24. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — of the leg
  2. staff — a stick
  3. saw — past of 'see'
  4. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  5. calf — a young animal
  6. snap — to speak sharply
  7. snap — to click
  8. pass — a permit
  9. staff — employees
  10. cell — in biology
  11. calf — a young animal
  12. snap — to snap out of it
  13. staff — employees
  14. kid — to tease
  15. saw — the tool
  16. plane — an aircraft
  17. pass — to succeed
  18. plane — a tool
  19. cell — a phone
  20. kid — child
  21. saw — the tool
  22. cell — in a prison
  23. plane — in geometry
  24. pass — to spend time

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