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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. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  2. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  3. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  4. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  5. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  6. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  7. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  8. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  9. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  10. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  11. The ________________ took off on time.
  12. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  13. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  14. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  15. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  16. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  17. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  18. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  19. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  20. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  21. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  22. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  23. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  24. We had a fire ________________ at school today.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — a young animal
  2. row — to paddle
  3. plane — in geometry
  4. current — electric
  5. calf — a young animal
  6. race — a contest
  7. perch — for a bird
  8. row — a quarrel
  9. chair — a professorship
  10. perch — for a bird
  11. plane — an aircraft
  12. drill — army training
  13. chair — to sit on
  14. plane — a tool
  15. perch — the fish
  16. calf — of the leg
  17. drill — the tool
  18. current — happening now
  19. race — the arms race
  20. race — humankind
  21. chair — a leader
  22. current — of water
  23. row — a line
  24. drill — a practice

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