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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 120 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: mouse · present · calf · scale · content · bound · plane · row

  1. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  2. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  3. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  4. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  5. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  6. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  7. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  8. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  9. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  10. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  11. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  12. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  13. The ________________ took off on time.
  14. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  15. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  16. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  17. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  18. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  19. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  20. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  21. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  22. That was ________________ to happen.
  23. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  24. Should I buy a wireless ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. calf — a young animal
  2. bound — obliged
  3. present — a gift
  4. content — happy
  5. plane — in geometry
  6. mouse — the animal
  7. plane — a tool
  8. calf — of the leg
  9. content — videos and posts
  10. scale — for weighing
  11. scale — size or range
  12. scale — in music
  13. plane — an aircraft
  14. mouse — the animal
  15. row — to paddle
  16. present — the time now
  17. row — a quarrel
  18. present — there
  19. calf — a young animal
  20. row — a line
  21. bound — tied together
  22. bound — certain
  23. content — the amount
  24. mouse — for a computer

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