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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. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  2. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  3. My mare is ________________ in color.
  4. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  5. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  6. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  7. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  8. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  9. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  10. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  11. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  12. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  13. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  14. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  15. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  16. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  17. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  18. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  19. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  20. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  21. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  22. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  23. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  24. The ________________ took off on time.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — in geometry
  2. plane — a tool
  3. bay — a horse colour
  4. bay — to keep at bay
  5. cap — of ice
  6. bay — a part of the sea
  7. snap — to snap out of it
  8. board — a flat piece
  9. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. snap — to speak sharply
  12. cap — a hat
  13. cap — a lid
  14. hand — help
  15. kid — to tease
  16. hand — part of the body
  17. board — a committee
  18. stick — a piece of wood
  19. snap — to click
  20. board — to get on
  21. hand — in cards
  22. kid — child
  23. stick — to attach or keep to
  24. plane — an aircraft

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