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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. Have you met the new head ________________?
  2. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  3. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  4. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  5. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  6. The ________________ took off on time.
  7. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  8. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  9. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  10. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  11. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  12. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  13. When was this ________________ built?
  14. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  15. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  16. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  17. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  18. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  19. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  20. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  21. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  22. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  23. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  24. Should I buy a wireless ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. coach — a trainer
  2. plane — in geometry
  3. deal — a big deal
  4. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  5. coach — a trainer
  6. plane — an aircraft
  7. wound — past of 'wind'
  8. kid — child
  9. temple — side of the head
  10. mouse — the animal
  11. wound — an injury
  12. band — a rubber band
  13. temple — a place of worship
  14. wound — an injury
  15. deal — an agreement
  16. temple — a place of worship
  17. coach — pulled by horses
  18. deal — to handle
  19. kid — to tease
  20. band — a music group
  21. mouse — the animal
  22. plane — a tool
  23. band — a ring
  24. mouse — for a computer

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