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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. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  2. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  3. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  4. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  5. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  6. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  7. He works in a ________________ mill.
  8. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  9. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  10. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  11. Don't do anything ________________.
  12. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  13. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  14. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  15. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  16. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  17. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  18. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  19. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  20. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  21. She's very handy with a ________________.
  22. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  23. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  24. The ________________ took off on time.

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

Answer key

  1. present — there
  2. plane — a tool
  3. row — a quarrel
  4. hide — to keep secret
  5. saw — past of 'see'
  6. plane — in geometry
  7. saw — the tool
  8. calf — of the leg
  9. rash — a series
  10. calf — a young animal
  11. rash — hasty
  12. row — a line
  13. mouse — for a computer
  14. hide — animal skin
  15. present — a gift
  16. mouse — the animal
  17. mouse — the animal
  18. rash — on the skin
  19. present — the time now
  20. hide — to keep secret
  21. saw — the tool
  22. row — to paddle
  23. calf — a young animal
  24. plane — an aircraft

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