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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 120 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 had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  2. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  3. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  4. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  5. The ________________ took off on time.
  6. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  7. What do you think of the new ________________?
  8. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  9. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  10. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  11. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  12. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  13. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  14. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  15. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  16. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  17. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  18. My mare is ________________ in color.
  19. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  20. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  21. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  22. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  23. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  24. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. kid — child
  2. object — a thing
  3. object — to protest
  4. cabinet — ministers
  5. plane — an aircraft
  6. cue — a signal
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. cabinet — a cupboard
  9. cue — for pool
  10. race — humankind
  11. bay — to keep at bay
  12. cue — a hint
  13. wake — a trail
  14. plane — in geometry
  15. plane — a tool
  16. race — the arms race
  17. kid — to tease
  18. bay — a horse colour
  19. race — a contest
  20. object — an aim
  21. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  22. wake — to stop sleeping
  23. wake — before a funeral
  24. bay — a part of the sea

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