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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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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. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  2. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  3. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  4. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  5. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  6. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  7. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  8. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  9. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  10. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  11. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  12. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  13. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  14. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  15. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  16. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  17. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  18. The ________________ took off on time.

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

Answer key

  1. kid — to tease
  2. trunk — of a car
  3. scale — size or range
  4. lean — to rest against
  5. scale — for weighing
  6. scale — in music
  7. kid — child
  8. plane — in geometry
  9. trunk — of a tree
  10. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  11. fine — a penalty
  12. plane — a tool
  13. trunk — of an elephant
  14. lean — to bend
  15. lean — thin
  16. fine — high quality
  17. fine — all right
  18. plane — an aircraft

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