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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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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: trunk · rest · plane · content · row · cold · rush · calf

  1. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  2. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  3. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  4. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  5. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  6. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  7. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  8. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  9. The ________________ took off on time.
  10. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  11. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  12. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  13. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  14. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  15. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  16. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  17. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  18. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  19. That must've been a ________________.
  20. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  21. The water is too ________________.
  22. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  23. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  24. Check the label for the sugar ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — in geometry
  2. plane — a tool
  3. rest — what's left
  4. row — to paddle
  5. calf — of the leg
  6. row — a quarrel
  7. rest — a break
  8. cold — an illness
  9. plane — an aircraft
  10. row — a line
  11. rush — to hurry
  12. trunk — of a tree
  13. content — videos and posts
  14. content — happy
  15. calf — a young animal
  16. trunk — of a car
  17. rush — hurry
  18. cold — the Cold War
  19. rush — a thrill
  20. trunk — of an elephant
  21. cold — not warm
  22. calf — a young animal
  23. rest — what's left
  24. content — the amount

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