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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. Have you met the new head ________________?
  2. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  3. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  4. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  5. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  6. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  7. He is an ace ________________.
  8. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  9. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  10. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  11. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  12. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  13. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  14. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  15. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  16. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  17. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  18. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  19. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  20. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  21. The ________________ took off on time.
  22. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  23. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  24. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — a trainer
  2. plane — in geometry
  3. coach — pulled by horses
  4. file — a document
  5. calf — a young animal
  6. coach — a trainer
  7. pitcher — in baseball
  8. file — a tool
  9. calf — a young animal
  10. pitcher — a jug
  11. root — of a word
  12. root — of a plant
  13. cap — a lid
  14. calf — of the leg
  15. craft — a handicraft
  16. cap — of ice
  17. cap — a hat
  18. craft — boats
  19. file — a line of people
  20. craft — a skill
  21. plane — an aircraft
  22. pitcher — a jug
  23. plane — a tool
  24. root — the cause

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