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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. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  3. The ________________ took off on time.
  4. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  5. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  6. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  7. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  8. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  9. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  10. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  11. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  12. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  13. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  14. Did you ________________ the meat?
  15. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  16. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  17. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  18. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  19. The light ________________ burned out.
  20. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  21. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  22. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  23. I've got to change the light ________________.
  24. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  2. season — in sport
  3. plane — an aircraft
  4. safe — a strongbox
  5. fan — to cool the air
  6. dip — a sauce
  7. safe — out of danger
  8. fall — to drop
  9. kid — child
  10. fall — to drop
  11. fan — a supporter
  12. dip — to sink
  13. safe — out of danger
  14. season — to add flavour
  15. bulb — of a plant
  16. season — of the year
  17. fall — the season
  18. dip — to dunk
  19. bulb — for light
  20. fan — a supporter
  21. kid — to tease
  22. plane — a tool
  23. bulb — for light
  24. plane — in geometry

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