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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. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  2. The ________________ took off on time.
  3. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  4. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  5. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  6. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  7. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  8. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  9. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  10. I can't ________________ this cold.
  11. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  12. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  13. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  14. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  15. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  16. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  17. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  18. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  19. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  20. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  21. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  22. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  23. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  24. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — a tool
  2. plane — an aircraft
  3. scale — for weighing
  4. scale — in music
  5. net — after costs
  6. net — in sport
  7. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  8. squash — the vegetable
  9. kid — to tease
  10. stand — to bear
  11. present — a gift
  12. stand — on your feet
  13. kick — with a leg
  14. kick — a thrill
  15. kid — child
  16. present — the time now
  17. present — there
  18. stand — for spectators
  19. kick — in football
  20. scale — size or range
  21. squash — the sport
  22. net — for catching
  23. plane — in geometry
  24. squash — to crush

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