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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. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  2. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  3. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  4. That was a fun ________________.
  5. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  6. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  7. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  8. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  9. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  10. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  11. That must've been a ________________.
  12. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  13. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  14. The ________________ took off on time.
  15. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  16. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  17. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  18. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  19. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  20. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  21. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  22. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  23. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  24. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — in geometry
  2. kid — to tease
  3. hide — to keep secret
  4. game — a match
  5. prune — to trim
  6. safe — a strongbox
  7. track — to keep track
  8. hide — animal skin
  9. game — a kind of play
  10. prune — the fruit
  11. rush — a thrill
  12. rush — hurry
  13. track — a song
  14. plane — an aircraft
  15. hide — to keep secret
  16. rush — to hurry
  17. track — a path
  18. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  19. kid — child
  20. plane — a tool
  21. safe — out of danger
  22. safe — out of danger
  23. prune — to trim
  24. game — wild animals

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