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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 like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  2. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  3. The ________________ took off on time.
  4. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  5. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  6. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  7. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  8. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  9. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  10. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  11. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  12. The ________________ went through the wall.
  13. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  14. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  15. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  16. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  17. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  18. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  19. The light ________________ burned out.
  20. I've got to change the light ________________.
  21. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  22. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  23. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  24. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.

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

Answer key

  1. toast — bread
  2. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  3. plane — an aircraft
  4. chair — a leader
  5. cue — a signal
  6. chair — a professorship
  7. craft — boats
  8. plane — in geometry
  9. chair — to sit on
  10. nail — for a hammer
  11. kid — child
  12. nail — for a hammer
  13. plane — a tool
  14. craft — a skill
  15. craft — a handicraft
  16. kid — to tease
  17. cue — a hint
  18. nail — on a finger
  19. bulb — for light
  20. bulb — for light
  21. bulb — of a plant
  22. toast — the most admired
  23. cue — for pool
  24. toast — a drink to someone

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