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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've got the luggage in my ________________.
  2. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  3. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  4. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  5. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  6. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  7. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  8. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  9. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  10. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  11. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  12. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  13. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  14. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  15. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  16. The ________________ took off on time.
  17. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  18. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  19. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  20. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  21. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  22. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  23. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  24. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of a car
  2. plane — a tool
  3. can — to be able to
  4. kid — child
  5. present — the time now
  6. present — there
  7. deal — a big deal
  8. present — a gift
  9. bass — low music
  10. can — a tin
  11. spring — the season
  12. bass — the instrument
  13. spring — a coil
  14. kid — to tease
  15. can — a tin
  16. plane — an aircraft
  17. trunk — of an elephant
  18. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  19. bass — the fish
  20. deal — to handle
  21. plane — in geometry
  22. trunk — of a tree
  23. deal — an agreement
  24. spring — of water

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