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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.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
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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. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  2. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  3. The ________________ took off on time.
  4. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  5. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  6. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  7. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  8. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  9. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  10. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  11. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  12. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  13. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  14. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  15. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  16. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  17. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  18. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  19. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  20. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  21. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  22. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  23. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  24. He had ________________ pain while walking.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — a hole
  2. row — a line
  3. plane — an aircraft
  4. pound — a weight
  5. calf — a young animal
  6. band — a rubber band
  7. row — a quarrel
  8. safe — a strongbox
  9. pound — for dogs
  10. band — a ring
  11. safe — out of danger
  12. chair — to sit on
  13. plane — a tool
  14. pit — a fruit stone
  15. pit — in a race
  16. chair — a professorship
  17. row — to paddle
  18. safe — out of danger
  19. chair — a leader
  20. band — a music group
  21. calf — a young animal
  22. plane — in geometry
  23. pound — to hit hard
  24. calf — of the leg

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