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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. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  2. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  3. You don't need to ________________ round.
  4. We're almost out of ________________.
  5. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  6. Have you found your soul ________________?
  7. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  8. She's very handy with a ________________.
  9. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  10. He works in a ________________ mill.
  11. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  12. The ________________ took off on time.
  13. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  14. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  15. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  16. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  17. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  18. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  19. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  20. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  21. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  22. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  23. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  24. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. kid — to tease
  2. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  3. pop — to visit
  4. pop — soda
  5. bank — for money
  6. mate — a partner
  7. mark — a grade
  8. saw — the tool
  9. cue — a signal
  10. saw — the tool
  11. mate — a friend
  12. plane — an aircraft
  13. cue — a hint
  14. cue — for pool
  15. mark — to pay attention
  16. bank — for money
  17. bank — of a river
  18. kid — child
  19. mate — to breed
  20. plane — a tool
  21. pop — music
  22. saw — past of 'see'
  23. mark — a trace
  24. plane — in geometry

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