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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 124 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. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  2. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  3. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  4. The ________________ took off on time.
  5. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  6. The light ________________ burned out.
  7. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  8. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  9. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  10. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  11. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  12. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  13. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  14. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  15. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  16. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  17. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  18. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  19. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  20. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  21. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  22. I've got to change the light ________________.
  23. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  24. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.

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

Answer key

  1. kid — child
  2. kick — a thrill
  3. bowl — a dish
  4. plane — an aircraft
  5. craft — a handicraft
  6. bulb — for light
  7. bulb — of a plant
  8. craft — a skill
  9. bowl — a football final
  10. craft — boats
  11. kid — to tease
  12. staff — employees
  13. plane — in geometry
  14. staff — employees
  15. staff — a stick
  16. fan — a supporter
  17. plane — a tool
  18. fan — a supporter
  19. kick — with a leg
  20. fan — to cool the air
  21. kick — in football
  22. bulb — for light
  23. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  24. bowl — to roll

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