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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. The ________________ took off on time.
  2. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  3. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  4. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  5. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  6. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  7. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  8. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  9. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  10. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  11. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  12. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  13. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  14. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  15. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  16. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  17. What do you think of the new ________________?
  18. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  19. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  20. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  21. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  22. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  23. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  24. When was this ________________ built?

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

Answer key

  1. plane — an aircraft
  2. mouse — for a computer
  3. racket — a loud noise
  4. cabinet — ministers
  5. racket — for tennis
  6. mouse — the animal
  7. leaves — of a tree
  8. temple — side of the head
  9. scale — for weighing
  10. plane — in geometry
  11. kid — to tease
  12. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  13. racket — for tennis
  14. mouse — the animal
  15. cabinet — a cupboard
  16. kid — child
  17. cabinet — ministers
  18. temple — a place of worship
  19. scale — in music
  20. plane — a tool
  21. leaves — lets stay
  22. scale — size or range
  23. leaves — to go away
  24. temple — a place of worship

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