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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.

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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. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  3. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  4. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  5. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  6. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  7. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  8. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  9. The ________________ took off on time.
  10. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  11. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  12. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  13. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  14. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  15. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  16. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  17. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  18. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  19. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  20. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  21. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  22. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  23. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  24. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.

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

Answer key

  1. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  2. mark — to pay attention
  3. cue — a hint
  4. plane — a tool
  5. bear — the animal
  6. bear — the animal
  7. plane — in geometry
  8. kid — child
  9. plane — an aircraft
  10. degree — an amount
  11. leaves — of a tree
  12. bear — to put up with
  13. leaves — lets stay
  14. mark — a trace
  15. leaves — to go away
  16. bass — low music
  17. cue — for pool
  18. bass — the instrument
  19. bass — the fish
  20. kid — to tease
  21. degree — temperature
  22. mark — a grade
  23. degree — from a university
  24. cue — a signal

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