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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: calf · wave · content · saw · wound · fan · snap · plane

  1. The ________________ took off on time.
  2. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  3. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  4. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  5. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  6. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  7. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  8. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  9. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  10. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  11. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  12. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  13. She's very handy with a ________________.
  14. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  15. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  16. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  17. He works in a ________________ mill.
  18. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  19. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  20. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  21. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  22. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  23. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  24. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — an aircraft
  2. wound — an injury
  3. wound — past of 'wind'
  4. snap — to snap out of it
  5. fan — a supporter
  6. snap — to click
  7. calf — a young animal
  8. plane — in geometry
  9. wave — with your hand
  10. wave — a sudden rise
  11. snap — to speak sharply
  12. content — the amount
  13. saw — the tool
  14. saw — past of 'see'
  15. wound — an injury
  16. content — videos and posts
  17. saw — the tool
  18. calf — of the leg
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. plane — a tool
  21. fan — to cool the air
  22. wave — of the sea
  23. calf — a young animal
  24. content — happy

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