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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 116 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: bound · mark · plane · dip · calf · wind · bowl · racket

  1. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  2. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  3. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  4. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  5. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  6. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  7. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  8. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  9. The ________________ took off on time.
  10. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  11. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  12. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  13. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  14. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  15. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  16. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  17. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  18. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  19. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  20. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  21. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  22. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  23. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  24. That was ________________ to happen.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — of the leg
  2. racket — a loud noise
  3. mark — to pay attention
  4. bowl — a dish
  5. bowl — to roll
  6. mark — a trace
  7. wind — to turn a key
  8. wind — moving air
  9. plane — an aircraft
  10. dip — a sauce
  11. racket — for tennis
  12. dip — to sink
  13. calf — a young animal
  14. bound — obliged
  15. bound — tied together
  16. bowl — a football final
  17. dip — to dunk
  18. plane — in geometry
  19. mark — a grade
  20. wind — moving air
  21. plane — a tool
  22. racket — for tennis
  23. calf — a young animal
  24. bound — certain

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