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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 120 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. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  2. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  3. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  4. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  5. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  6. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  7. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  8. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  9. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  10. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  11. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  12. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  13. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  14. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  15. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  16. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  17. The ________________ took off on time.
  18. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  19. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  20. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  21. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  22. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  23. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  24. You can't go backstage without a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. shower — rain
  2. plane — a tool
  3. pass — to spend time
  4. field — a subject
  5. track — a path
  6. trunk — of a car
  7. mouse — the animal
  8. track — to keep track
  9. field — farmland
  10. calf — of the leg
  11. plane — in geometry
  12. mouse — the animal
  13. field — for sport
  14. trunk — of a tree
  15. mouse — for a computer
  16. calf — a young animal
  17. plane — an aircraft
  18. calf — a young animal
  19. shower — a meteor shower
  20. shower — to wash
  21. pass — to succeed
  22. trunk — of an elephant
  23. track — a song
  24. pass — a permit

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