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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. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  2. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  3. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  4. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  5. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  6. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  7. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  8. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  9. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  10. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  11. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  12. That must've been a ________________.
  13. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  14. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  15. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  16. The ________________ took off on time.
  17. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  18. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  19. Did you ________________ the meat?
  20. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  21. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  22. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  23. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  24. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — in geometry
  2. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  3. hand — help
  4. kid — child
  5. hand — in cards
  6. plane — a tool
  7. season — of the year
  8. racket — a loud noise
  9. perch — for a bird
  10. hand — part of the body
  11. season — in sport
  12. rush — a thrill
  13. march — the month
  14. march — the month
  15. racket — for tennis
  16. plane — an aircraft
  17. perch — the fish
  18. rush — to hurry
  19. season — to add flavour
  20. racket — for tennis
  21. perch — for a bird
  22. rush — hurry
  23. kid — to tease
  24. march — music

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