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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. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  2. The light ________________ burned out.
  3. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  4. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  5. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  6. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  7. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  8. That was a fun ________________.
  9. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  10. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  11. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  12. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  13. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  14. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  15. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  16. I've got to change the light ________________.
  17. The ________________ took off on time.
  18. Don't do anything ________________.
  19. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  20. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  21. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  22. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  23. David sat on the ________________.
  24. He had ________________ pain while walking.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — in geometry
  2. bulb — for light
  3. wave — with your hand
  4. wave — a sudden rise
  5. calf — a young animal
  6. drill — army training
  7. swing — music
  8. game — a match
  9. game — wild animals
  10. game — a kind of play
  11. swing — in golf
  12. calf — a young animal
  13. bulb — of a plant
  14. plane — a tool
  15. rash — on the skin
  16. bulb — for light
  17. plane — an aircraft
  18. rash — hasty
  19. wave — of the sea
  20. drill — the tool
  21. rash — a series
  22. drill — a practice
  23. swing — to play on
  24. calf — of the leg

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