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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 took the fish out of the ________________.
  2. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  3. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  4. Where did you ________________ them?
  5. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  6. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  7. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  8. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  9. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  10. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  11. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  12. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  13. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  14. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  15. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  16. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  17. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  18. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  19. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  20. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  21. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  22. The ________________ took off on time.
  23. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  24. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.

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

Answer key

  1. net — for catching
  2. lean — to rest against
  3. race — the arms race
  4. mug — to rob
  5. racket — a loud noise
  6. plane — in geometry
  7. march — the month
  8. lean — thin
  9. race — humankind
  10. kid — to tease
  11. march — music
  12. racket — for tennis
  13. net — after costs
  14. kid — child
  15. race — a contest
  16. plane — a tool
  17. net — in sport
  18. racket — for tennis
  19. mug — a face
  20. lean — to bend
  21. mug — a cup
  22. plane — an aircraft
  23. march — the month
  24. kid — young goat (kid gloves)

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