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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. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  2. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  3. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  4. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  5. David sat on the ________________.
  6. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  7. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  8. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  9. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  10. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  11. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  12. I've got to change the light ________________.
  13. This piece is in a major ________________.
  14. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  15. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  16. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  17. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  18. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  19. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  20. The light ________________ burned out.
  21. The ________________ took off on time.
  22. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  23. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  24. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?

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

Answer key

  1. kick — in football
  2. dip — a sauce
  3. cap — of ice
  4. kid — to tease
  5. swing — to play on
  6. swing — music
  7. key — for a lock
  8. kick — with a leg
  9. key — the most important part
  10. bulb — of a plant
  11. plane — a tool
  12. bulb — for light
  13. key — in music
  14. dip — to dunk
  15. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  16. swing — in golf
  17. cap — a hat
  18. dip — to sink
  19. plane — in geometry
  20. bulb — for light
  21. plane — an aircraft
  22. kid — child
  23. kick — a thrill
  24. cap — a lid

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