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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. That was ________________ to happen.
  2. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  3. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  4. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  5. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  6. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  7. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  8. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  9. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  10. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  11. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  12. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  13. She's very handy with a ________________.
  14. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  15. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  16. We're on a ________________ here.
  17. The ________________ took off on time.
  18. He works in a ________________ mill.
  19. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  20. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  21. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  22. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  23. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  24. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — certain
  2. calf — a young animal
  3. calf — a young animal
  4. plane — in geometry
  5. pit — in a race
  6. pit — a hole
  7. pit — a fruit stone
  8. bound — obliged
  9. bound — tied together
  10. clip — to cut
  11. roll — a cake
  12. mouse — the animal
  13. saw — the tool
  14. mouse — the animal
  15. calf — of the leg
  16. roll — on a roll
  17. plane — an aircraft
  18. saw — the tool
  19. roll — a list
  20. mouse — for a computer
  21. saw — past of 'see'
  22. clip — for paper
  23. clip — a video
  24. plane — a tool

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