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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: march · wind · pop · can · calf · suit · mine · plane

  1. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  2. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  3. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  4. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  5. You don't need to ________________ round.
  6. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  7. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  8. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  9. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  10. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  11. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  12. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  13. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  14. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  15. The ________________ took off on time.
  16. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  17. We're almost out of ________________.
  18. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  19. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  20. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  21. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  22. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  23. When will it ________________ you to start?
  24. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mine — an explosive
  2. plane — a tool
  3. suit — in cards
  4. mine — for digging
  5. pop — to visit
  6. mine — belonging to me
  7. plane — in geometry
  8. march — the month
  9. can — a tin
  10. can — a tin
  11. wind — to turn a key
  12. march — the month
  13. suit — clothes
  14. wind — moving air
  15. plane — an aircraft
  16. can — to be able to
  17. pop — soda
  18. march — music
  19. wind — moving air
  20. calf — of the leg
  21. calf — a young animal
  22. pop — music
  23. suit — to fit
  24. calf — a young animal

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