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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. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  3. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  4. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  5. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  6. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  7. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  8. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  9. The ________________ took off on time.
  10. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  11. Have you found your soul ________________?
  12. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  13. Did you ________________ the meat?
  14. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  15. That must've been a ________________.
  16. The ball is in your ________________.
  17. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  18. What do you think of the new ________________?
  19. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  20. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  21. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  22. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  23. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  24. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!

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

Answer key

  1. kid — child
  2. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  3. cabinet — a cupboard
  4. kid — to tease
  5. plane — in geometry
  6. rush — hurry
  7. mate — a friend
  8. court — of a king
  9. plane — an aircraft
  10. season — in sport
  11. mate — a partner
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. season — to add flavour
  14. season — of the year
  15. rush — a thrill
  16. court — for sport
  17. bear — the animal
  18. cabinet — ministers
  19. bear — the animal
  20. plane — a tool
  21. mate — to breed
  22. court — of law
  23. rush — to hurry
  24. bear — to put up with

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