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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
468
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: stand · tube · pound · land · sharp · fall · plane · calf

  1. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  2. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  3. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  4. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  5. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  6. I can't ________________ this cold.
  7. It's one o'clock ________________.
  8. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  9. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  10. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  11. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  12. When are we going to ________________?
  13. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  14. The ________________ took off on time.
  15. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  16. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  17. I'll be taking the ________________.
  18. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  19. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  20. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  21. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  22. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  23. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  24. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — of the leg
  2. calf — a young animal
  3. tube — in a tire
  4. stand — on your feet
  5. tube — a container
  6. stand — to bear
  7. sharp — exactly
  8. land — ground
  9. fall — to drop
  10. sharp — with an edge
  11. land — a country
  12. land — to come down
  13. plane — in geometry
  14. plane — an aircraft
  15. calf — a young animal
  16. pound — for dogs
  17. tube — the underground
  18. plane — a tool
  19. pound — to hit hard
  20. fall — the season
  21. pound — a weight
  22. sharp — clever
  23. fall — to drop
  24. stand — for spectators

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