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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 had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  2. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  3. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  4. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  5. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  6. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  7. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  8. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  9. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  10. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  11. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  12. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  13. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  14. The ________________ took off on time.
  15. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  16. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  17. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  18. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  19. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  20. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  21. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  22. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  23. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  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. kid — child
  2. scale — in music
  3. plane — a tool
  4. can — a tin
  5. staff — employees
  6. calf — a young animal
  7. plane — in geometry
  8. staff — employees
  9. deal — an agreement
  10. bark — to shout
  11. calf — a young animal
  12. can — a tin
  13. kid — to tease
  14. plane — an aircraft
  15. calf — of the leg
  16. scale — size or range
  17. scale — for weighing
  18. bark — of a tree
  19. staff — a stick
  20. can — to be able to
  21. bark — a dog's sound
  22. deal — to handle
  23. deal — a big deal
  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