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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. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  3. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  4. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  5. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  6. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  7. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  8. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  9. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  10. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  11. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  12. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  13. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  14. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  15. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  16. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  17. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  18. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  19. The King held a masked ________________.
  20. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  21. The ________________ took off on time.
  22. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  23. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  24. The elephant has a huge ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a round shape
  2. face — to confront
  3. calf — of the leg
  4. ball — a great time
  5. calf — a young animal
  6. prune — the fruit
  7. face — part of the head
  8. calf — a young animal
  9. wake — a trail
  10. net — after costs
  11. trunk — of a car
  12. plane — a tool
  13. wake — before a funeral
  14. trunk — of a tree
  15. wake — to stop sleeping
  16. net — for catching
  17. prune — to trim
  18. prune — to trim
  19. ball — a dance
  20. face — to point toward
  21. plane — an aircraft
  22. net — in sport
  23. plane — in geometry
  24. trunk — of an elephant

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