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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. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  2. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  3. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  4. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  5. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  6. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  7. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  8. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  9. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  10. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  11. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  12. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  13. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  14. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  15. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  16. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  17. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  18. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  19. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  20. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  21. The ________________ took off on time.
  22. Where did you ________________ them?
  23. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  24. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. shower — rain
  2. mug — a face
  3. craft — a skill
  4. stick — a piece of wood
  5. plane — in geometry
  6. calf — a young animal
  7. craft — a handicraft
  8. mug — a cup
  9. kick — in football
  10. snap — to snap out of it
  11. plane — a tool
  12. kick — with a leg
  13. shower — a meteor shower
  14. calf — a young animal
  15. calf — of the leg
  16. stick — to attach or keep to
  17. shower — to wash
  18. snap — to click
  19. craft — boats
  20. kick — a thrill
  21. plane — an aircraft
  22. mug — to rob
  23. snap — to speak sharply
  24. stick — a piece of wood

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