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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 116 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: calf · ground · lie · sharp · court · saw · drill · plane

  1. The ________________ took off on time.
  2. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  3. He works in a ________________ mill.
  4. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  5. There's no middle ________________.
  6. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  7. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  8. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  9. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  10. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  11. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  12. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  13. She's very handy with a ________________.
  14. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  15. It's one o'clock ________________.
  16. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  17. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  18. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  19. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  20. The ball is in your ________________.
  21. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  22. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  23. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  24. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — an aircraft
  2. lie — to recline
  3. saw — the tool
  4. calf — of the leg
  5. ground — a position
  6. plane — a tool
  7. saw — past of 'see'
  8. ground — the earth
  9. ground — crushed
  10. sharp — with an edge
  11. drill — army training
  12. court — of a king
  13. saw — the tool
  14. drill — a practice
  15. sharp — exactly
  16. calf — a young animal
  17. court — of law
  18. sharp — clever
  19. drill — the tool
  20. court — for sport
  21. plane — in geometry
  22. lie — an untruth
  23. lie — an untruth
  24. calf — a young animal

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