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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 124 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. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  2. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  3. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  4. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  5. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  6. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  7. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  8. She's very handy with a ________________.
  9. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  10. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  11. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  12. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  13. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  14. The ________________ went through the wall.
  15. He works in a ________________ mill.
  16. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  17. The ________________ took off on time.
  18. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  19. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  20. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  21. When are we going to ________________?
  22. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  23. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  24. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — to put up with
  2. plane — in geometry
  3. calf — a young animal
  4. nail — on a finger
  5. plane — a tool
  6. fan — to cool the air
  7. firm — decided
  8. saw — the tool
  9. land — ground
  10. bear — the animal
  11. nail — for a hammer
  12. firm — a company
  13. calf — of the leg
  14. nail — for a hammer
  15. saw — the tool
  16. fan — a supporter
  17. plane — an aircraft
  18. bear — the animal
  19. firm — steady
  20. fan — a supporter
  21. land — to come down
  22. calf — a young animal
  23. saw — past of 'see'
  24. land — a country

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