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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. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  3. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  4. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  5. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  6. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  7. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  8. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  9. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  10. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  11. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  12. The ________________ took off on time.
  13. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  14. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  15. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  16. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  17. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  18. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  19. That was ________________ to happen.
  20. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  21. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  22. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  23. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  24. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.

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

Answer key

  1. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  2. craft — a handicraft
  3. wake — to stop sleeping
  4. kick — a thrill
  5. bark — a dog's sound
  6. craft — boats
  7. bound — obliged
  8. snap — to speak sharply
  9. plane — in geometry
  10. bark — to shout
  11. bound — tied together
  12. plane — an aircraft
  13. craft — a skill
  14. snap — to snap out of it
  15. kick — with a leg
  16. snap — to click
  17. wake — a trail
  18. kid — to tease
  19. bound — certain
  20. bark — of a tree
  21. kid — child
  22. kick — in football
  23. plane — a tool
  24. wake — before a funeral

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