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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. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  2. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  3. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  4. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  5. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  6. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  7. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  8. David sat on the ________________.
  9. I can't ________________ this cold.
  10. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  11. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  12. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  13. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  14. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  15. He was locked up in a ________________.
  16. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  17. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  18. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  19. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  20. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  21. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  22. The ________________ took off on time.
  23. False peace will not ________________.
  24. At ________________, we arrived at the village.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — of the leg
  2. plane — in geometry
  3. swing — music
  4. calf — a young animal
  5. safe — a strongbox
  6. calf — a young animal
  7. stand — on your feet
  8. swing — to play on
  9. stand — to bear
  10. clip — for paper
  11. safe — out of danger
  12. plane — a tool
  13. stand — for spectators
  14. clip — a video
  15. cell — in a prison
  16. swing — in golf
  17. clip — to cut
  18. last — final
  19. cell — in biology
  20. cell — a phone
  21. safe — out of danger
  22. plane — an aircraft
  23. last — to go on
  24. last — finally

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