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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. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  2. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  3. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  4. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  5. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  6. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  7. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  8. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  9. The ________________ took off on time.
  10. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  11. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  12. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  13. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  14. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  15. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  16. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  17. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  18. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  19. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  20. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  21. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  22. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  23. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  24. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — in geometry
  2. calf — of the leg
  3. bat — the animal
  4. tear — to rip
  5. plane — a tool
  6. fork — a garden tool
  7. present — there
  8. fork — to eat with
  9. plane — an aircraft
  10. tear — from crying
  11. bat — for baseball
  12. calf — a young animal
  13. present — a gift
  14. mouse — for a computer
  15. mouse — the animal
  16. tear — from crying
  17. toast — a drink to someone
  18. mouse — the animal
  19. toast — the most admired
  20. toast — bread
  21. present — the time now
  22. fork — in a road
  23. calf — a young animal
  24. bat — in an idiom

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