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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. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  2. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  3. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  4. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  5. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  6. This piece is in a major ________________.
  7. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  8. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  9. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  10. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  11. Have you settled on a ________________?
  12. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  13. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  14. Where did you ________________ them?
  15. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  16. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  17. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  18. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  19. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  20. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  21. The ________________ took off on time.
  22. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  23. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  24. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — a cup
  2. key — for a lock
  3. plane — a tool
  4. pit — in a race
  5. key — the most important part
  6. key — in music
  7. plane — in geometry
  8. mug — a face
  9. fall — to drop
  10. perch — for a bird
  11. date — on the calendar
  12. pit — a fruit stone
  13. perch — for a bird
  14. mug — to rob
  15. fall — to drop
  16. pit — a hole
  17. date — on the calendar
  18. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  19. fall — the season
  20. kid — to tease
  21. plane — an aircraft
  22. perch — the fish
  23. kid — child
  24. date — the fruit

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