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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 120 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. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  3. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  4. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  5. The light ________________ burned out.
  6. The ________________ took off on time.
  7. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  8. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  9. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  10. I've got to change the light ________________.
  11. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  12. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  13. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  14. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  15. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  16. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  17. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  18. Have you found your soul ________________?
  19. There's no middle ________________.
  20. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  21. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  22. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  23. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  24. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  2. stem — to come from
  3. ground — the earth
  4. foot — the bottom
  5. bulb — for light
  6. plane — an aircraft
  7. plane — a tool
  8. ground — crushed
  9. mate — to breed
  10. bulb — for light
  11. stem — of a plant
  12. kid — to tease
  13. hand — help
  14. foot — part of the body
  15. foot — a measure
  16. hand — in cards
  17. kid — child
  18. mate — a partner
  19. ground — a position
  20. stem — a stem cell
  21. bulb — of a plant
  22. plane — in geometry
  23. mate — a friend
  24. hand — part of the body

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