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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. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  2. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  3. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  4. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  5. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  6. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  7. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  8. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  9. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  10. What do you think of the new ________________?
  11. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  12. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  13. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  14. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  15. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  16. Have you met the new head ________________?
  17. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  18. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  19. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  20. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  21. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  22. The ________________ took off on time.
  23. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  24. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.

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

Answer key

  1. kick — a thrill
  2. present — the time now
  3. kid — to tease
  4. rock — to move gently
  5. kid — child
  6. plane — in geometry
  7. deal — to handle
  8. cabinet — ministers
  9. present — a gift
  10. cabinet — ministers
  11. kick — in football
  12. present — there
  13. rock — a stone
  14. plane — a tool
  15. deal — a big deal
  16. coach — a trainer
  17. kick — with a leg
  18. cabinet — a cupboard
  19. coach — a trainer
  20. coach — pulled by horses
  21. deal — an agreement
  22. plane — an aircraft
  23. rock — music
  24. kid — young goat (kid gloves)

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