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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: swing · land · march · roll · calf · toast · plane · file

  1. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  2. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  3. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  4. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  5. The ________________ took off on time.
  6. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  7. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  8. We're on a ________________ here.
  9. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  10. When are we going to ________________?
  11. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  12. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  13. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  14. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  15. David sat on the ________________.
  16. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  17. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  18. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  19. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  20. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  21. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  22. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  23. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  24. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — music
  2. calf — a young animal
  3. file — a document
  4. toast — the most admired
  5. plane — an aircraft
  6. plane — a tool
  7. roll — a cake
  8. roll — on a roll
  9. plane — in geometry
  10. land — to come down
  11. land — a country
  12. file — a tool
  13. land — ground
  14. toast — a drink to someone
  15. swing — to play on
  16. file — a line of people
  17. march — the month
  18. toast — bread
  19. march — the month
  20. roll — a list
  21. march — music
  22. calf — a young animal
  23. calf — of the leg
  24. swing — in golf

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