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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: bat · nail · sharp · squash · calf · plane · charge · content

  1. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  2. The ________________ took off on time.
  3. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  4. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  5. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  6. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  7. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  8. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  9. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  10. The ________________ went through the wall.
  11. The tickets are free of ________________.
  12. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  13. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  14. It's one o'clock ________________.
  15. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  16. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  17. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  18. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  19. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  20. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  21. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  22. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  23. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  24. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — a young animal
  2. plane — an aircraft
  3. bat — the animal
  4. plane — a tool
  5. content — videos and posts
  6. sharp — clever
  7. bat — in an idiom
  8. calf — of the leg
  9. content — happy
  10. nail — for a hammer
  11. charge — a price
  12. nail — for a hammer
  13. squash — the sport
  14. sharp — exactly
  15. sharp — with an edge
  16. charge — electricity
  17. content — the amount
  18. bat — for baseball
  19. charge — in control
  20. calf — a young animal
  21. squash — the vegetable
  22. nail — on a finger
  23. plane — in geometry
  24. squash — to crush

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