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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. There's no middle ________________.
  2. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  3. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  4. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  5. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  6. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  7. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  8. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  9. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  10. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  11. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  12. The ________________ took off on time.
  13. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  14. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  15. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  16. Where did you ________________ them?
  17. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  18. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  19. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  20. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  21. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  22. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  23. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  24. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — a position
  2. present — a gift
  3. firm — a company
  4. mug — a face
  5. plane — a tool
  6. leaves — of a tree
  7. plane — in geometry
  8. calf — a young animal
  9. leaves — to go away
  10. wind — moving air
  11. calf — of the leg
  12. plane — an aircraft
  13. mug — a cup
  14. ground — crushed
  15. present — there
  16. mug — to rob
  17. present — the time now
  18. firm — steady
  19. firm — decided
  20. wind — to turn a key
  21. ground — the earth
  22. leaves — lets stay
  23. calf — a young animal
  24. wind — moving air

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