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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. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  2. The ________________ took off on time.
  3. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  4. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  5. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  6. The water is too ________________.
  7. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  8. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  9. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  10. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  11. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  12. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  13. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  14. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  15. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  16. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  17. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  18. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  19. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  20. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  21. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  22. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  23. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  24. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — a loud noise
  2. plane — an aircraft
  3. racket — for tennis
  4. fork — to eat with
  5. plane — a tool
  6. cold — not warm
  7. board — a committee
  8. cap — a hat
  9. plane — in geometry
  10. lie — to recline
  11. cold — the Cold War
  12. calf — of the leg
  13. racket — for tennis
  14. calf — a young animal
  15. lie — an untruth
  16. cap — of ice
  17. fork — a garden tool
  18. board — a flat piece
  19. cap — a lid
  20. cold — an illness
  21. lie — an untruth
  22. calf — a young animal
  23. board — to get on
  24. fork — in a road

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