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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. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  2. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  3. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  4. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  5. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  6. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  7. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  8. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  9. The ________________ took off on time.
  10. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  11. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  12. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  13. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  14. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  15. This piece is in a major ________________.
  16. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  17. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  18. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  19. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  20. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  21. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  22. There's no middle ________________.
  23. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  24. Add some ________________ pepper to it.

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

Answer key

  1. kick — with a leg
  2. calf — a young animal
  3. plane — in geometry
  4. key — for a lock
  5. calf — a young animal
  6. file — a document
  7. bat — in an idiom
  8. board — to get on
  9. plane — an aircraft
  10. board — a committee
  11. bat — the animal
  12. file — a tool
  13. calf — of the leg
  14. kick — in football
  15. key — in music
  16. key — the most important part
  17. plane — a tool
  18. file — a line of people
  19. board — a flat piece
  20. ground — the earth
  21. kick — a thrill
  22. ground — a position
  23. bat — for baseball
  24. ground — crushed

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