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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. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  2. That must've been a ________________.
  3. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  4. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  5. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  6. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  7. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  8. The ________________ took off on time.
  9. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  10. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  11. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  12. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  13. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  14. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  15. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  16. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  17. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  18. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  19. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  20. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  21. He is an ace ________________.
  22. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  23. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  24. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — in geometry
  2. rush — a thrill
  3. stick — a piece of wood
  4. chair — a leader
  5. pitcher — a jug
  6. drill — army training
  7. kid — child
  8. plane — an aircraft
  9. drill — the tool
  10. stick — to attach or keep to
  11. rush — to hurry
  12. kid — to tease
  13. pitcher — a jug
  14. plane — a tool
  15. chair — a professorship
  16. rush — hurry
  17. kick — with a leg
  18. kick — a thrill
  19. kick — in football
  20. chair — to sit on
  21. pitcher — in baseball
  22. drill — a practice
  23. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  24. stick — a piece of wood

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