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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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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: plane · capital · calf · cell · swing · staff · object · bore

  1. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  2. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  3. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  4. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  5. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  6. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  7. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  8. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  9. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  10. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  11. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  12. He was locked up in a ________________.
  13. David sat on the ________________.
  14. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  15. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  16. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  17. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  18. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  19. The ________________ took off on time.
  20. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  21. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  22. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  23. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  24. He had ________________ pain while walking.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — in geometry
  2. object — a thing
  3. cell — in biology
  4. cell — a phone
  5. capital — money
  6. staff — a stick
  7. capital — a city
  8. calf — a young animal
  9. object — to protest
  10. bore — gave birth
  11. staff — employees
  12. cell — in a prison
  13. swing — to play on
  14. bore — to drill
  15. bore — to tire
  16. swing — music
  17. plane — a tool
  18. calf — a young animal
  19. plane — an aircraft
  20. swing — in golf
  21. capital — a big letter
  22. object — an aim
  23. staff — employees
  24. calf — of the leg

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