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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 116 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. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  2. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  3. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  4. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  5. The ________________ took off on time.
  6. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  7. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  8. Have you found your soul ________________?
  9. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  10. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  11. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  12. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  13. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  14. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  15. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  16. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  17. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  18. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  19. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  20. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  21. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  22. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  23. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  24. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.

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

Answer key

  1. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  2. march — the month
  3. mate — a friend
  4. kid — child
  5. plane — an aircraft
  6. present — the time now
  7. march — the month
  8. mate — a partner
  9. present — a gift
  10. wax — to grow
  11. present — there
  12. bank — for money
  13. wax — for sculpting
  14. bank — of a river
  15. mate — to breed
  16. bank — for money
  17. kid — to tease
  18. rule — a law
  19. rule — government
  20. plane — a tool
  21. march — music
  22. wax — in the ear
  23. plane — in geometry
  24. rule — to rule out

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