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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. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  2. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  3. The ________________ took off on time.
  4. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  5. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  6. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  7. David sat on the ________________.
  8. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  9. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  10. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  11. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  12. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  13. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  14. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  15. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  16. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  17. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  18. Have you found your soul ________________?
  19. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  20. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  21. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  22. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  23. There's no middle ________________.
  24. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mate — to breed
  2. ground — crushed
  3. plane — an aircraft
  4. calf — a young animal
  5. swing — in golf
  6. fall — the season
  7. swing — to play on
  8. fall — to drop
  9. swing — music
  10. firm — a company
  11. fall — to drop
  12. firm — steady
  13. plane — a tool
  14. leaves — lets stay
  15. leaves — to go away
  16. mate — a friend
  17. leaves — of a tree
  18. mate — a partner
  19. calf — of the leg
  20. firm — decided
  21. ground — the earth
  22. calf — a young animal
  23. ground — a position
  24. plane — in geometry

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