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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. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  2. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  3. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  4. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  5. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  6. That was ________________ to happen.
  7. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  8. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  9. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  10. She's very handy with a ________________.
  11. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  12. The ________________ took off on time.
  13. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  14. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  15. He works in a ________________ mill.
  16. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  17. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  18. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  19. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  20. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  21. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  22. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  23. It's one o'clock ________________.
  24. How do you ________________ your surname?

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

Answer key

  1. calf — a young animal
  2. plane — a tool
  3. calf — of the leg
  4. chest — a box
  5. leaves — to go away
  6. bound — certain
  7. chest — of your body
  8. calf — a young animal
  9. sharp — with an edge
  10. saw — the tool
  11. plane — in geometry
  12. plane — an aircraft
  13. leaves — of a tree
  14. bound — obliged
  15. saw — the tool
  16. spell — a short time
  17. saw — past of 'see'
  18. sharp — clever
  19. leaves — lets stay
  20. spell — magic
  21. chest — of your body
  22. bound — tied together
  23. sharp — exactly
  24. spell — letters

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