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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. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  2. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  3. The King held a masked ________________.
  4. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  5. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  6. The ________________ took off on time.
  7. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  8. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  9. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  10. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  11. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  12. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  13. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  14. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  15. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  16. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  17. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  18. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  19. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  20. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  21. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  22. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  23. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  24. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.

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

Answer key

  1. toast — a drink to someone
  2. calf — a young animal
  3. ball — a dance
  4. plane — a tool
  5. row — a quarrel
  6. plane — an aircraft
  7. toast — bread
  8. row — a line
  9. net — in sport
  10. net — after costs
  11. calf — a young animal
  12. branch — of a bank
  13. branch — a division
  14. deal — to handle
  15. plane — in geometry
  16. deal — an agreement
  17. ball — a round shape
  18. branch — of a tree
  19. net — for catching
  20. toast — the most admired
  21. row — to paddle
  22. calf — of the leg
  23. ball — a great time
  24. deal — a big deal

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