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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 information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  2. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  3. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  4. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  5. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  6. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  7. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  8. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  9. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  10. The ________________ took off on time.
  11. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  12. He was locked up in a ________________.
  13. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  14. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  15. I can't ________________ this cold.
  16. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  17. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  18. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  19. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  20. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  21. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  22. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  23. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  24. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a document
  2. spring — a coil
  3. plane — a tool
  4. calf — a young animal
  5. plane — in geometry
  6. firm — a company
  7. cell — a phone
  8. spring — the season
  9. calf — a young animal
  10. plane — an aircraft
  11. firm — decided
  12. cell — in a prison
  13. squash — to crush
  14. cell — in biology
  15. stand — to bear
  16. stand — on your feet
  17. squash — the vegetable
  18. firm — steady
  19. squash — the sport
  20. spring — of water
  21. calf — of the leg
  22. file — a tool
  23. file — a line of people
  24. stand — for spectators

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