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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 116 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.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
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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. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  2. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  3. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  4. My mare is ________________ in color.
  5. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  6. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  7. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  8. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  9. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  10. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  11. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  12. You don't need to ________________ round.
  13. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  14. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  15. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  16. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  17. The ________________ took off on time.
  18. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  19. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  20. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  21. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  22. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  23. We're almost out of ________________.
  24. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.

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

Answer key

  1. present — a gift
  2. kid — to tease
  3. kid — child
  4. bay — a horse colour
  5. plane — a tool
  6. wave — with your hand
  7. bay — a part of the sea
  8. present — the time now
  9. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  10. wave — a sudden rise
  11. fine — a penalty
  12. pop — to visit
  13. wave — of the sea
  14. pop — music
  15. plane — in geometry
  16. snap — to click
  17. plane — an aircraft
  18. bay — to keep at bay
  19. snap — to snap out of it
  20. snap — to speak sharply
  21. present — there
  22. fine — all right
  23. pop — soda
  24. fine — high quality

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