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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. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  3. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  4. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  5. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  6. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  7. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  8. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  9. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  10. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  11. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  12. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  13. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  14. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  15. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  16. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  17. The ________________ took off on time.
  18. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  19. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  20. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  21. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  22. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  23. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  24. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.

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

Answer key

  1. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  2. pit — a hole
  3. pass — a permit
  4. pass — to succeed
  5. trunk — of an elephant
  6. current — electric
  7. plane — in geometry
  8. kid — to tease
  9. spring — a coil
  10. racket — a loud noise
  11. racket — for tennis
  12. kid — child
  13. pass — to spend time
  14. trunk — of a car
  15. spring — the season
  16. pit — a fruit stone
  17. plane — an aircraft
  18. trunk — of a tree
  19. current — happening now
  20. racket — for tennis
  21. spring — of water
  22. current — of water
  23. plane — a tool
  24. pit — in a race

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