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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.

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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: ground · calf · last · arm · pop · bound · plane · ball

  1. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  2. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  3. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  4. We're almost out of ________________.
  5. False peace will not ________________.
  6. You don't need to ________________ round.
  7. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  8. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  9. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  10. That was ________________ to happen.
  11. There's no middle ________________.
  12. The King held a masked ________________.
  13. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  14. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  15. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  16. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  17. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  18. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  19. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  20. My father caught me by the ________________.
  21. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  22. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  23. The ________________ took off on time.
  24. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — of the leg
  2. last — finally
  3. arm — a part of something
  4. pop — soda
  5. last — to go on
  6. pop — to visit
  7. pop — music
  8. last — final
  9. plane — in geometry
  10. bound — certain
  11. ground — a position
  12. ball — a dance
  13. ball — a round shape
  14. calf — a young animal
  15. ball — a great time
  16. bound — obliged
  17. ground — the earth
  18. calf — a young animal
  19. arm — part of the body
  20. arm — part of the body
  21. plane — a tool
  22. ground — crushed
  23. plane — an aircraft
  24. bound — tied together

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