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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. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  2. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  3. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  4. The ________________ took off on time.
  5. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  6. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  7. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  8. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  9. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  10. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  11. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  12. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  13. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  14. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  15. Where did you ________________ them?
  16. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  17. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  18. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  19. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  20. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  21. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  22. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  23. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  24. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.

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

Answer key

  1. bat — the animal
  2. plane — in geometry
  3. mug — a cup
  4. plane — an aircraft
  5. wound — an injury
  6. plane — a tool
  7. wound — an injury
  8. kid — child
  9. bat — for baseball
  10. mug — a face
  11. bore — to drill
  12. bat — in an idiom
  13. object — a thing
  14. can — a tin
  15. mug — to rob
  16. bore — to tire
  17. bore — gave birth
  18. object — to protest
  19. kid — to tease
  20. object — an aim
  21. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  22. can — to be able to
  23. wound — past of 'wind'
  24. can — a tin

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