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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.

Make a worksheet

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: object · calf · ground · plane · lean · content · date · rest

  1. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  2. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  3. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  4. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  5. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  6. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  7. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  8. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  9. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  10. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  11. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  12. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  13. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  14. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  15. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  16. Have you settled on a ________________?
  17. The ________________ took off on time.
  18. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  19. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  20. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  21. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  22. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  23. There's no middle ________________.
  24. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — crushed
  2. calf — a young animal
  3. object — to protest
  4. calf — a young animal
  5. lean — to bend
  6. object — a thing
  7. lean — thin
  8. rest — a break
  9. content — the amount
  10. date — the fruit
  11. calf — of the leg
  12. plane — in geometry
  13. content — videos and posts
  14. content — happy
  15. rest — what's left
  16. date — on the calendar
  17. plane — an aircraft
  18. lean — to rest against
  19. object — an aim
  20. date — on the calendar
  21. ground — the earth
  22. rest — what's left
  23. ground — a position
  24. plane — a tool

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