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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.

Make a worksheet

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 from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: cell · rash · game · bear · calf · mouse · lean · plane

  1. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  2. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  3. That was a fun ________________.
  4. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  5. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  6. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  7. He was locked up in a ________________.
  8. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  9. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  10. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  11. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  12. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  13. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  14. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  15. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  16. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  17. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  18. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  19. The ________________ took off on time.
  20. Don't do anything ________________.
  21. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  22. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  23. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  24. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cell — a phone
  2. bear — the animal
  3. game — a match
  4. rash — on the skin
  5. rash — a series
  6. calf — a young animal
  7. cell — in a prison
  8. calf — of the leg
  9. mouse — the animal
  10. bear — the animal
  11. calf — a young animal
  12. lean — to bend
  13. lean — to rest against
  14. plane — a tool
  15. game — wild animals
  16. plane — in geometry
  17. lean — thin
  18. game — a kind of play
  19. plane — an aircraft
  20. rash — hasty
  21. mouse — for a computer
  22. cell — in biology
  23. bear — to put up with
  24. mouse — the animal

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