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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. When will it ________________ you to start?
  2. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  3. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  4. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  5. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  6. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  7. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  8. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  9. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  10. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  11. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  12. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  13. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  14. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  15. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  16. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  17. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  18. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  19. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  20. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  21. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  22. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  23. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  24. The ________________ took off on time.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — to fit
  2. bowl — to roll
  3. kid — to tease
  4. plane — in geometry
  5. kid — child
  6. plane — a tool
  7. bowl — a dish
  8. patient — calm and waiting
  9. race — a contest
  10. patient — a sick person
  11. bowl — a football final
  12. stick — to attach or keep to
  13. stick — a piece of wood
  14. race — humankind
  15. patient — a sick person
  16. kick — with a leg
  17. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  18. suit — in cards
  19. stick — a piece of wood
  20. kick — a thrill
  21. suit — clothes
  22. race — the arms race
  23. kick — in football
  24. plane — an aircraft

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