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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. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  2. The King held a masked ________________.
  3. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  4. You don't need to ________________ round.
  5. The ________________ took off on time.
  6. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  7. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  8. When was this ________________ built?
  9. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  10. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  11. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  12. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  13. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  14. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  15. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  16. We're almost out of ________________.
  17. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  18. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  19. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  20. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  21. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  22. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  23. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  24. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a round shape
  2. ball — a dance
  3. file — a tool
  4. pop — to visit
  5. plane — an aircraft
  6. calf — of the leg
  7. plane — in geometry
  8. temple — a place of worship
  9. ball — a great time
  10. plane — a tool
  11. fan — a supporter
  12. file — a document
  13. snap — to click
  14. file — a line of people
  15. snap — to snap out of it
  16. pop — soda
  17. temple — side of the head
  18. calf — a young animal
  19. snap — to speak sharply
  20. calf — a young animal
  21. pop — music
  22. fan — to cool the air
  23. temple — a place of worship
  24. fan — a supporter

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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