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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. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  2. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  3. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  4. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  5. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  6. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  7. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  8. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  9. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  10. That was a fun ________________.
  11. She's very handy with a ________________.
  12. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  13. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  14. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  15. He works in a ________________ mill.
  16. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  17. The ________________ took off on time.
  18. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  19. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  20. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  21. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  22. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  23. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  24. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.

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

Answer key

  1. foot — a measure
  2. plane — in geometry
  3. foot — the bottom
  4. can — a tin
  5. chest — of your body
  6. foot — part of the body
  7. calf — of the leg
  8. game — a kind of play
  9. calf — a young animal
  10. game — a match
  11. saw — the tool
  12. saw — past of 'see'
  13. can — to be able to
  14. chest — of your body
  15. saw — the tool
  16. tear — from crying
  17. plane — an aircraft
  18. tear — from crying
  19. chest — a box
  20. game — wild animals
  21. tear — to rip
  22. can — a tin
  23. calf — a young animal
  24. plane — a tool

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