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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: plane · calf · pitcher · fall · row · leaves · snap · rash

  1. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  2. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  3. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  4. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  5. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  6. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  7. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  8. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  9. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  10. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  11. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  12. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  13. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  14. He is an ace ________________.
  15. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  16. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  17. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  18. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  19. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  20. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  21. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  22. The ________________ took off on time.
  23. Don't do anything ________________.
  24. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — of a tree
  2. snap — to speak sharply
  3. calf — a young animal
  4. pitcher — a jug
  5. leaves — to go away
  6. calf — a young animal
  7. snap — to snap out of it
  8. fall — to drop
  9. rash — on the skin
  10. fall — the season
  11. pitcher — a jug
  12. leaves — lets stay
  13. plane — in geometry
  14. pitcher — in baseball
  15. snap — to click
  16. plane — a tool
  17. calf — of the leg
  18. row — to paddle
  19. row — a quarrel
  20. rash — a series
  21. fall — to drop
  22. plane — an aircraft
  23. rash — hasty
  24. row — a line

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