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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.

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: kid · cabinet · pound · pitcher · spell · plane · calf · lie

  1. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  2. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  3. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  4. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  5. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  6. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  7. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  8. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  9. He is an ace ________________.
  10. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  11. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  12. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  13. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  14. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  15. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  16. How do you ________________ your surname?
  17. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  18. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  19. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  20. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  21. The ________________ took off on time.
  22. What do you think of the new ________________?
  23. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  24. He had ________________ pain while walking.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — to hit hard
  2. cabinet — ministers
  3. plane — a tool
  4. lie — an untruth
  5. kid — child
  6. pitcher — a jug
  7. lie — an untruth
  8. pound — a weight
  9. pitcher — in baseball
  10. kid — to tease
  11. pitcher — a jug
  12. pound — for dogs
  13. spell — magic
  14. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  15. calf — a young animal
  16. spell — letters
  17. cabinet — a cupboard
  18. lie — to recline
  19. calf — a young animal
  20. spell — a short time
  21. plane — an aircraft
  22. cabinet — ministers
  23. plane — in geometry
  24. calf — of the leg

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