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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. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  2. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  3. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  4. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  5. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  6. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  7. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  8. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  9. I can't ________________ this cold.
  10. The ________________ took off on time.
  11. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  12. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  13. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  14. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  15. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  16. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  17. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  18. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  19. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  20. There's no middle ________________.
  21. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  22. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  23. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  24. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. kick — with a leg
  2. plane — in geometry
  3. plane — a tool
  4. stand — for spectators
  5. shower — to wash
  6. ground — the earth
  7. shower — rain
  8. content — the amount
  9. stand — to bear
  10. plane — an aircraft
  11. spring — the season
  12. kick — in football
  13. spring — of water
  14. ground — crushed
  15. shower — a meteor shower
  16. content — videos and posts
  17. content — happy
  18. stick — a piece of wood
  19. spring — a coil
  20. ground — a position
  21. stand — on your feet
  22. stick — to attach or keep to
  23. kick — a thrill
  24. stick — a piece of wood

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