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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. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  2. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  3. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  4. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  5. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  6. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  7. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  8. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  9. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  10. The ________________ took off on time.
  11. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  12. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  13. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  14. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  15. Have you met the new head ________________?
  16. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  17. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  18. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  19. When are we going to ________________?
  20. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  21. I'll be taking the ________________.
  22. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  23. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  24. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. land — a country
  2. row — a quarrel
  3. land — ground
  4. calf — of the leg
  5. bore — gave birth
  6. net — after costs
  7. calf — a young animal
  8. calf — a young animal
  9. plane — a tool
  10. plane — an aircraft
  11. net — for catching
  12. net — in sport
  13. row — a line
  14. coach — pulled by horses
  15. coach — a trainer
  16. coach — a trainer
  17. row — to paddle
  18. tube — in a tire
  19. land — to come down
  20. bore — to drill
  21. tube — the underground
  22. tube — a container
  23. bore — to tire
  24. plane — in geometry

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