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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. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  2. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  3. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  4. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  5. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  6. David sat on the ________________.
  7. The ________________ took off on time.
  8. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  9. When will it ________________ you to start?
  10. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  11. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  12. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  13. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  14. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  15. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  16. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  17. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  18. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  19. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  20. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  21. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  22. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  23. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  24. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  2. swing — music
  3. can — a tin
  4. suit — in cards
  5. plane — a tool
  6. swing — to play on
  7. plane — an aircraft
  8. present — there
  9. suit — to fit
  10. kid — child
  11. wake — to stop sleeping
  12. swing — in golf
  13. plane — in geometry
  14. can — a tin
  15. kid — to tease
  16. stem — to come from
  17. can — to be able to
  18. suit — clothes
  19. wake — a trail
  20. present — the time now
  21. present — a gift
  22. wake — before a funeral
  23. stem — a stem cell
  24. stem — of a plant

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