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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. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  2. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  3. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  4. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  5. The ________________ took off on time.
  6. The King held a masked ________________.
  7. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  8. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  9. How do you ________________ your surname?
  10. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  11. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  12. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  13. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  14. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  15. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  16. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  17. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  18. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  19. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  20. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  21. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  22. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  23. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  24. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a round shape
  2. calf — a young animal
  3. can — a tin
  4. craft — boats
  5. plane — an aircraft
  6. ball — a dance
  7. row — a quarrel
  8. plane — a tool
  9. spell — letters
  10. spell — a short time
  11. bark — a dog's sound
  12. can — to be able to
  13. craft — a handicraft
  14. can — a tin
  15. spell — magic
  16. bark — of a tree
  17. plane — in geometry
  18. row — a line
  19. bark — to shout
  20. craft — a skill
  21. row — to paddle
  22. calf — of the leg
  23. ball — a great time
  24. calf — a young animal

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