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

Word bank: bear · plane · ruler · fork · saw · kick · foot · field

  1. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  2. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  3. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  4. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  5. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  6. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  7. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  8. The ________________ took off on time.
  9. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  10. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  11. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  12. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  13. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  14. She's very handy with a ________________.
  15. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  16. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  17. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  18. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  19. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  20. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  21. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  22. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  23. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  24. He works in a ________________ mill.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — to put up with
  2. foot — part of the body
  3. kick — with a leg
  4. plane — a tool
  5. saw — past of 'see'
  6. fork — in a road
  7. ruler — for measuring
  8. plane — an aircraft
  9. ruler — for measuring
  10. field — farmland
  11. fork — to eat with
  12. fork — a garden tool
  13. foot — the bottom
  14. saw — the tool
  15. field — a subject
  16. kick — in football
  17. ruler — a monarch
  18. foot — a measure
  19. bear — the animal
  20. bear — the animal
  21. plane — in geometry
  22. kick — a thrill
  23. field — for sport
  24. saw — the 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