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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. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  2. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  3. The ________________ went through the wall.
  4. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  5. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  6. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  7. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  8. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  9. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  10. He was locked up in a ________________.
  11. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  12. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  13. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  14. The ball is in your ________________.
  15. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  16. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  17. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  18. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  19. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  20. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  21. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  22. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  23. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  24. The ________________ took off on time.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — a young animal
  2. plane — in geometry
  3. nail — for a hammer
  4. court — of a king
  5. court — of law
  6. band — a music group
  7. band — a rubber band
  8. field — for sport
  9. spring — of water
  10. cell — in a prison
  11. nail — on a finger
  12. calf — a young animal
  13. spring — a coil
  14. court — for sport
  15. cell — in biology
  16. calf — of the leg
  17. field — farmland
  18. plane — a tool
  19. spring — the season
  20. nail — for a hammer
  21. field — a subject
  22. band — a ring
  23. cell — a phone
  24. plane — an aircraft

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