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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: plane · cabinet · fine · rest · deal · wound · track · calf

  1. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  2. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  3. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  4. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  5. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  6. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  7. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  8. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  9. The ________________ took off on time.
  10. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  11. What do you think of the new ________________?
  12. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  13. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  14. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  15. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  16. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  17. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  18. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  19. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  20. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  21. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  22. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  23. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  24. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — a young animal
  2. calf — of the leg
  3. plane — a tool
  4. cabinet — a cupboard
  5. track — to keep track
  6. rest — what's left
  7. wound — an injury
  8. wound — an injury
  9. plane — an aircraft
  10. calf — a young animal
  11. cabinet — ministers
  12. fine — a penalty
  13. track — a song
  14. deal — a big deal
  15. rest — a break
  16. deal — to handle
  17. rest — what's left
  18. cabinet — ministers
  19. wound — past of 'wind'
  20. fine — high quality
  21. track — a path
  22. deal — an agreement
  23. fine — all right
  24. plane — in geometry

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