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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. The ________________ took off on time.
  2. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  3. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  4. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  5. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  6. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  7. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  8. Don't do anything ________________.
  9. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  10. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  11. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  12. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  13. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  14. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  15. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  16. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  17. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  18. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  19. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  20. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  21. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  22. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  23. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  24. I seem to be developing a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — an aircraft
  2. pitch — a sales talk
  3. tear — from crying
  4. rash — a series
  5. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  6. tear — from crying
  7. pitch — completely
  8. rash — hasty
  9. deal — a big deal
  10. firm — steady
  11. deal — an agreement
  12. scale — in music
  13. kid — to tease
  14. plane — a tool
  15. pitch — a sports field
  16. plane — in geometry
  17. kid — child
  18. scale — size or range
  19. tear — to rip
  20. firm — a company
  21. firm — decided
  22. scale — for weighing
  23. deal — to handle
  24. rash — on the skin

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