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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. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  3. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  4. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  5. The ________________ took off on time.
  6. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  7. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  8. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  9. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  10. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  11. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  12. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  13. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  14. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  15. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  16. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  17. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  18. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  19. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  20. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  21. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  22. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  23. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  24. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.

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

Answer key

  1. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  2. plane — a tool
  3. plane — in geometry
  4. shower — a meteor shower
  5. plane — an aircraft
  6. wake — before a funeral
  7. shower — to wash
  8. perch — for a bird
  9. kid — child
  10. rock — music
  11. shower — rain
  12. bark — to shout
  13. rock — a stone
  14. bark — of a tree
  15. perch — for a bird
  16. wake — to stop sleeping
  17. fan — to cool the air
  18. fan — a supporter
  19. bark — a dog's sound
  20. fan — a supporter
  21. wake — a trail
  22. perch — the fish
  23. rock — to move gently
  24. kid — to tease

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