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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 120 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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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: bowl · mark · plane · calf · craft · ground · rule · chest

  1. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  2. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  3. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  4. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  5. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  6. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  7. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  8. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  9. The ________________ took off on time.
  10. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  11. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  12. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  13. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  14. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  15. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  16. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  17. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  18. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  19. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  20. There's no middle ________________.
  21. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  22. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  23. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  24. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — to roll
  2. mark — a grade
  3. chest — of your body
  4. plane — a tool
  5. calf — of the leg
  6. mark — to pay attention
  7. bowl — a football final
  8. craft — boats
  9. plane — an aircraft
  10. mark — a trace
  11. ground — crushed
  12. calf — a young animal
  13. chest — a box
  14. rule — government
  15. calf — a young animal
  16. chest — of your body
  17. rule — to rule out
  18. craft — a handicraft
  19. rule — a law
  20. ground — a position
  21. plane — in geometry
  22. bowl — a dish
  23. ground — the earth
  24. craft — a skill

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