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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 116 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 carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  3. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  4. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  5. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  6. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  7. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  8. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  9. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  10. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  11. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  12. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  13. The ________________ took off on time.
  14. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  15. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  16. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  17. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  18. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  19. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  20. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  21. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  22. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  23. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  24. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — of the leg
  2. plane — a tool
  3. vault — an arched ceiling
  4. calf — a young animal
  5. file — a document
  6. safe — a strongbox
  7. bark — of a tree
  8. file — a line of people
  9. plane — in geometry
  10. file — a tool
  11. row — a line
  12. content — happy
  13. plane — an aircraft
  14. vault — a safe
  15. vault — in gymnastics
  16. row — to paddle
  17. content — videos and posts
  18. bark — to shout
  19. content — the amount
  20. safe — out of danger
  21. calf — a young animal
  22. row — a quarrel
  23. safe — out of danger
  24. bark — a dog's sound

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