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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. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  2. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  3. The ________________ took off on time.
  4. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  5. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  6. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  7. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  8. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  9. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  10. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  11. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  12. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  13. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  14. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  15. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  16. I can't ________________ this cold.
  17. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  18. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  19. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  20. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  21. He was locked up in a ________________.
  22. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  23. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  24. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cell — in biology
  2. spring — the season
  3. plane — an aircraft
  4. plane — in geometry
  5. calf — a young animal
  6. spring — of water
  7. cue — a hint
  8. calf — of the leg
  9. shower — a meteor shower
  10. cue — for pool
  11. spring — a coil
  12. stand — for spectators
  13. shower — rain
  14. hand — help
  15. hand — in cards
  16. stand — to bear
  17. hand — part of the body
  18. cue — a signal
  19. plane — a tool
  20. shower — to wash
  21. cell — in a prison
  22. stand — on your feet
  23. cell — a phone
  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