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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. I'll be taking the ________________.
  2. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  3. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  4. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  5. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  6. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  7. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  8. The ________________ took off on time.
  9. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  10. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  11. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  12. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  13. My mare is ________________ in color.
  14. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  15. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  16. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  17. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  18. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  19. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  20. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  21. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  22. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  23. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  24. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — the underground
  2. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  3. fine — a penalty
  4. bay — a part of the sea
  5. fine — all right
  6. lean — to bend
  7. kick — with a leg
  8. plane — an aircraft
  9. fine — high quality
  10. kid — to tease
  11. shower — rain
  12. kid — child
  13. bay — a horse colour
  14. tube — in a tire
  15. shower — a meteor shower
  16. kick — in football
  17. plane — in geometry
  18. bay — to keep at bay
  19. lean — thin
  20. tube — a container
  21. shower — to wash
  22. kick — a thrill
  23. lean — to rest against
  24. plane — a tool

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