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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. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  2. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  3. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  4. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  5. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  6. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  7. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  8. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  9. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  10. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  11. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  12. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  13. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  14. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  15. The ________________ took off on time.
  16. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  17. He is an ace ________________.
  18. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  19. What do you think of the new ________________?
  20. You don't need to ________________ round.
  21. We're almost out of ________________.
  22. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  23. That was ________________ to happen.
  24. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — tied together
  2. cabinet — a cupboard
  3. bound — obliged
  4. hand — in cards
  5. cabinet — ministers
  6. pitcher — a jug
  7. pitcher — a jug
  8. plane — in geometry
  9. calf — of the leg
  10. bat — in an idiom
  11. pop — music
  12. calf — a young animal
  13. hand — part of the body
  14. hand — help
  15. plane — an aircraft
  16. bat — for baseball
  17. pitcher — in baseball
  18. bat — the animal
  19. cabinet — ministers
  20. pop — to visit
  21. pop — soda
  22. plane — a tool
  23. bound — certain
  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