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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. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  2. The ________________ took off on time.
  3. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  4. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  5. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  6. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  7. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  8. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  9. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  10. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  11. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  12. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  13. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  14. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  15. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  16. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  17. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  18. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  19. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  20. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  21. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  22. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  23. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  24. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!

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

Answer key

  1. bear — the animal
  2. plane — an aircraft
  3. bear — the animal
  4. pit — a hole
  5. mouse — for a computer
  6. fall — the season
  7. lean — to bend
  8. mouse — the animal
  9. plane — a tool
  10. row — to paddle
  11. mouse — the animal
  12. calf — of the leg
  13. pit — in a race
  14. fall — to drop
  15. pit — a fruit stone
  16. fall — to drop
  17. plane — in geometry
  18. lean — thin
  19. row — a quarrel
  20. lean — to rest against
  21. calf — a young animal
  22. calf — a young animal
  23. row — a line
  24. bear — to put up with

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