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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. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  2. The ________________ took off on time.
  3. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  4. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  5. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  6. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  7. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  8. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  9. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  10. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  11. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  12. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  13. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  14. I'll be taking the ________________.
  15. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  16. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  17. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  18. He is an ace ________________.
  19. False peace will not ________________.
  20. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  21. When are we going to ________________?
  22. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  23. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  24. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — of the leg
  2. plane — an aircraft
  3. land — ground
  4. plane — in geometry
  5. pitcher — a jug
  6. tube — in a tire
  7. last — finally
  8. calf — a young animal
  9. calf — a young animal
  10. pass — a permit
  11. pass — to spend time
  12. bowl — a football final
  13. land — a country
  14. tube — the underground
  15. bowl — a dish
  16. last — final
  17. tube — a container
  18. pitcher — in baseball
  19. last — to go on
  20. pitcher — a jug
  21. land — to come down
  22. plane — a tool
  23. bowl — to roll
  24. pass — to succeed

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