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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 116 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. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  3. The ________________ took off on time.
  4. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  5. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  6. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  7. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  8. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  9. False peace will not ________________.
  10. I've got to change the light ________________.
  11. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  12. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  13. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  14. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  15. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  16. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  17. The light ________________ burned out.
  18. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  19. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  20. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  21. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  22. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  23. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  24. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — in geometry
  2. calf — a young animal
  3. plane — an aircraft
  4. last — final
  5. bulb — of a plant
  6. mine — an explosive
  7. lash — to lash out
  8. lash — an eyelash
  9. last — to go on
  10. bulb — for light
  11. calf — a young animal
  12. mine — for digging
  13. shower — rain
  14. calf — of the leg
  15. last — finally
  16. can — a tin
  17. bulb — for light
  18. can — a tin
  19. can — to be able to
  20. plane — a tool
  21. mine — belonging to me
  22. shower — to wash
  23. lash — a whip stroke
  24. shower — a meteor shower

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