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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. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  2. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  3. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  4. The ________________ took off on time.
  5. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  6. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  7. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  8. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  9. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  10. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  11. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  12. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  13. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  14. This piece is in a major ________________.
  15. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  16. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  17. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  18. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  19. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  20. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  21. Have you found your soul ________________?
  22. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  23. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  24. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.

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

Answer key

  1. kid — child
  2. mate — to breed
  3. trunk — of a tree
  4. plane — an aircraft
  5. fine — a penalty
  6. trunk — of a car
  7. mate — a friend
  8. kid — to tease
  9. key — for a lock
  10. current — of water
  11. fine — all right
  12. wave — a sudden rise
  13. trunk — of an elephant
  14. key — in music
  15. plane — in geometry
  16. wave — of the sea
  17. current — electric
  18. key — the most important part
  19. plane — a tool
  20. wave — with your hand
  21. mate — a partner
  22. fine — high quality
  23. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  24. current — happening now

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