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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. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  2. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  3. That was ________________ to happen.
  4. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  5. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  6. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  7. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  8. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  9. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  10. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  11. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  12. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  13. The ________________ took off on time.
  14. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  15. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  16. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  17. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  18. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  19. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  20. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  21. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  22. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  23. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  24. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — a tool
  2. calf — of the leg
  3. bound — certain
  4. bound — tied together
  5. track — a path
  6. file — a document
  7. kick — with a leg
  8. plane — in geometry
  9. snap — to click
  10. snap — to speak sharply
  11. track — a song
  12. calf — a young animal
  13. plane — an aircraft
  14. race — a contest
  15. snap — to snap out of it
  16. kick — in football
  17. race — the arms race
  18. file — a tool
  19. track — to keep track
  20. bound — obliged
  21. file — a line of people
  22. race — humankind
  23. kick — a thrill
  24. calf — a young animal

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