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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. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  2. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  3. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  4. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  5. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  6. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  7. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  8. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  9. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  10. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  11. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  12. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  13. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  14. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  15. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  16. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  17. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  18. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  19. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  20. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  21. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  22. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  23. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  24. The ________________ took off on time.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — part of the body
  2. bowl — to roll
  3. calf — of the leg
  4. snap — to speak sharply
  5. mark — a grade
  6. mark — a trace
  7. bowl — a football final
  8. plane — in geometry
  9. calf — a young animal
  10. bore — gave birth
  11. march — the month
  12. snap — to click
  13. march — the month
  14. bore — to drill
  15. hand — in cards
  16. mark — to pay attention
  17. plane — a tool
  18. hand — help
  19. bore — to tire
  20. bowl — a dish
  21. calf — a young animal
  22. snap — to snap out of it
  23. march — music
  24. plane — an aircraft

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