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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. The ________________ took off on time.
  2. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  3. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  4. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  5. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  6. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  7. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  8. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  9. We're almost out of ________________.
  10. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  11. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  12. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  13. You don't need to ________________ round.
  14. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  15. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  16. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  17. We're on a ________________ here.
  18. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  19. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  20. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  21. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  22. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  23. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  24. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — an aircraft
  2. kid — to tease
  3. calf — a young animal
  4. plane — in geometry
  5. bear — to put up with
  6. calf — a young animal
  7. calf — of the leg
  8. racket — a loud noise
  9. pop — soda
  10. plane — a tool
  11. kid — child
  12. bear — the animal
  13. pop — to visit
  14. pop — music
  15. roll — a list
  16. mine — belonging to me
  17. roll — on a roll
  18. bear — the animal
  19. roll — a cake
  20. racket — for tennis
  21. mine — an explosive
  22. mine — for digging
  23. racket — for tennis
  24. kid — young goat (kid gloves)

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