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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. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  4. Have you settled on a ________________?
  5. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  6. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  7. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  8. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  9. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  10. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  11. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  12. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  13. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  14. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  15. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  16. We're on a ________________ here.
  17. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  18. The ________________ took off on time.
  19. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  20. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  21. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  22. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  23. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  24. She got the top ________________ in the exam.

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. plane — in geometry
  4. date — on the calendar
  5. mark — to pay attention
  6. date — the fruit
  7. present — the time now
  8. mark — a trace
  9. jam — to spread on bread
  10. jam — a tight spot
  11. roll — a list
  12. jam — in traffic
  13. stick — a piece of wood
  14. present — a gift
  15. plane — a tool
  16. roll — on a roll
  17. roll — a cake
  18. plane — an aircraft
  19. present — there
  20. kid — child
  21. stick — to attach or keep to
  22. date — on the calendar
  23. stick — a piece of wood
  24. mark — a grade

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