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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. Have you met the new head ________________?
  2. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  3. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  4. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  5. My father caught me by the ________________.
  6. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  7. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  8. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  9. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  10. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  11. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  12. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  13. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  14. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  15. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  16. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  17. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  18. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  19. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  20. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  21. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  22. The ________________ took off on time.
  23. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  24. The ball hit the back of the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — a trainer
  2. plane — in geometry
  3. calf — a young animal
  4. snap — to click
  5. arm — part of the body
  6. fall — to drop
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. snap — to snap out of it
  9. net — for catching
  10. calf — of the leg
  11. stick — to attach or keep to
  12. coach — a trainer
  13. net — after costs
  14. arm — part of the body
  15. arm — a part of something
  16. fall — the season
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. plane — a tool
  19. coach — pulled by horses
  20. fall — to drop
  21. calf — a young animal
  22. plane — an aircraft
  23. snap — to speak sharply
  24. net — in sport

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