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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 116 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. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  2. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  3. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  4. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  5. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  6. My mare is ________________ in color.
  7. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  8. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  9. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  10. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  11. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  12. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  13. False peace will not ________________.
  14. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  15. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  16. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  17. David sat on the ________________.
  18. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  19. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  20. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  21. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  22. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  23. The ________________ took off on time.
  24. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?

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

Answer key

  1. plane — in geometry
  2. calf — of the leg
  3. bay — a part of the sea
  4. present — a gift
  5. calf — a young animal
  6. bay — a horse colour
  7. plane — a tool
  8. prune — to trim
  9. last — final
  10. swing — music
  11. cap — a hat
  12. calf — a young animal
  13. last — to go on
  14. present — the time now
  15. bay — to keep at bay
  16. prune — the fruit
  17. swing — to play on
  18. cap — of ice
  19. swing — in golf
  20. present — there
  21. prune — to trim
  22. last — finally
  23. plane — an aircraft
  24. cap — a lid

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