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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. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  2. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  3. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  4. The ________________ went through the wall.
  5. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  6. Have you met the new head ________________?
  7. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  8. Have you found your soul ________________?
  9. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  10. The ________________ took off on time.
  11. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  12. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  13. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  14. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  15. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  16. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  17. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  18. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  19. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  20. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  21. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  22. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  23. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  24. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fall — to drop
  2. fall — to drop
  3. calf — a young animal
  4. nail — for a hammer
  5. staff — employees
  6. coach — a trainer
  7. calf — of the leg
  8. mate — a partner
  9. nail — for a hammer
  10. plane — an aircraft
  11. coach — a trainer
  12. calf — a young animal
  13. staff — employees
  14. mate — to breed
  15. coach — pulled by horses
  16. wound — past of 'wind'
  17. plane — a tool
  18. nail — on a finger
  19. wound — an injury
  20. fall — the season
  21. wound — an injury
  22. staff — a stick
  23. mate — a friend
  24. plane — in geometry

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