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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. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  2. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  3. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  4. The ________________ took off on time.
  5. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  6. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  7. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  8. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  9. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  10. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  11. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  12. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  13. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  14. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  15. The light ________________ burned out.
  16. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  17. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  18. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  19. I've got to change the light ________________.
  20. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  21. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  22. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  23. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  24. This looks like a gunshot ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — a tool
  2. cue — a hint
  3. craft — a handicraft
  4. plane — an aircraft
  5. file — a document
  6. pound — a weight
  7. plane — in geometry
  8. cue — for pool
  9. craft — a skill
  10. file — a tool
  11. pound — for dogs
  12. wound — an injury
  13. wound — past of 'wind'
  14. file — a line of people
  15. bulb — for light
  16. kid — to tease
  17. cue — a signal
  18. kid — child
  19. bulb — for light
  20. pound — to hit hard
  21. bulb — of a plant
  22. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  23. craft — boats
  24. wound — an injury

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