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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. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  2. Have you met the new head ________________?
  3. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  4. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  5. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  6. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  7. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  8. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  9. It's one o'clock ________________.
  10. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  11. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  12. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  13. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  14. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  15. The ________________ took off on time.
  16. That was a fun ________________.
  17. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  18. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  19. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  20. That must've been a ________________.
  21. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  22. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  23. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  24. What do you think of the new ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. coach — pulled by horses
  2. coach — a trainer
  3. sharp — clever
  4. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  5. game — a kind of play
  6. lie — an untruth
  7. kid — to tease
  8. kid — child
  9. sharp — exactly
  10. plane — in geometry
  11. game — wild animals
  12. lie — an untruth
  13. lie — to recline
  14. coach — a trainer
  15. plane — an aircraft
  16. game — a match
  17. plane — a tool
  18. rush — to hurry
  19. cabinet — a cupboard
  20. rush — a thrill
  21. cabinet — ministers
  22. rush — hurry
  23. sharp — with an edge
  24. cabinet — ministers

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