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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 get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  2. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  3. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  4. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  5. The ________________ took off on time.
  6. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  7. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  8. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  9. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  10. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  11. Where did you ________________ them?
  12. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  13. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  14. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  15. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  16. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  17. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  18. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  19. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  20. He is an ace ________________.
  21. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  22. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  23. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  24. There's no middle ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. kick — a thrill
  2. mug — a cup
  3. can — a tin
  4. plane — in geometry
  5. plane — an aircraft
  6. firm — a company
  7. firm — steady
  8. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  9. plane — a tool
  10. pitcher — a jug
  11. mug — to rob
  12. ground — crushed
  13. pitcher — a jug
  14. can — to be able to
  15. kid — to tease
  16. firm — decided
  17. kick — with a leg
  18. kid — child
  19. can — a tin
  20. pitcher — in baseball
  21. mug — a face
  22. ground — the earth
  23. kick — in football
  24. ground — a position

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