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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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  2. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  3. The ________________ took off on time.
  4. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  5. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  6. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  7. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  8. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  9. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  10. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  11. How do you ________________ your surname?
  12. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  13. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  14. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  15. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  16. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  17. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  18. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.

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

Answer key

  1. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  2. object — a thing
  3. plane — an aircraft
  4. plane — in geometry
  5. wind — moving air
  6. lie — an untruth
  7. plane — a tool
  8. spell — a short time
  9. lie — to recline
  10. spell — magic
  11. spell — letters
  12. wind — to turn a key
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. object — to protest
  15. object — an aim
  16. kid — child
  17. wind — moving air
  18. kid — to tease

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