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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. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  2. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  3. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  4. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  5. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  6. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  7. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  8. Have you found your soul ________________?
  9. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  10. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  11. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  12. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  13. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  14. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  15. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  16. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  17. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  18. The ________________ took off on time.
  19. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  20. The ball is in your ________________.
  21. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  22. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  23. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  24. I can't ________________ this cold.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — the animal
  2. calf — a young animal
  3. mouse — for a computer
  4. court — of a king
  5. plane — in geometry
  6. calf — a young animal
  7. shower — a meteor shower
  8. mate — a partner
  9. bat — in an idiom
  10. mouse — the animal
  11. stand — for spectators
  12. shower — rain
  13. shower — to wash
  14. court — of law
  15. mate — to breed
  16. mate — a friend
  17. bat — the animal
  18. plane — an aircraft
  19. calf — of the leg
  20. court — for sport
  21. stand — on your feet
  22. bat — for baseball
  23. plane — a tool
  24. stand — to bear

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