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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. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  2. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  3. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  4. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  5. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  6. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  7. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  8. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  9. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  10. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  11. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  12. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  13. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  14. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  15. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  16. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  17. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  18. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  19. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  20. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  21. The ________________ took off on time.
  22. We're on a ________________ here.
  23. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  24. You can't go backstage without a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. kid — to tease
  2. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  3. wax — for sculpting
  4. lie — an untruth
  5. field — for sport
  6. roll — a cake
  7. ruler — for measuring
  8. field — farmland
  9. kid — child
  10. wax — to grow
  11. lie — an untruth
  12. wax — in the ear
  13. lie — to recline
  14. ruler — a monarch
  15. field — a subject
  16. plane — in geometry
  17. pass — to spend time
  18. plane — a tool
  19. pass — to succeed
  20. ruler — for measuring
  21. plane — an aircraft
  22. roll — on a roll
  23. roll — a list
  24. pass — a permit

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