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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. This piece is in a major ________________.
  2. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  3. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  4. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  5. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  6. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  7. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  8. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  9. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  10. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  11. The ________________ took off on time.
  12. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  13. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  14. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  15. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  16. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  17. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  18. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  19. Have you settled on a ________________?
  20. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  21. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  22. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  23. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  24. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.

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

Answer key

  1. key — in music
  2. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  3. bear — the animal
  4. bore — to tire
  5. dip — to sink
  6. kid — to tease
  7. key — the most important part
  8. bore — gave birth
  9. date — on the calendar
  10. dip — to dunk
  11. plane — an aircraft
  12. bear — to put up with
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. plane — in geometry
  15. key — for a lock
  16. dip — a sauce
  17. plane — a tool
  18. kid — child
  19. date — on the calendar
  20. bore — to drill
  21. lie — to recline
  22. lie — an untruth
  23. bear — the animal
  24. date — the fruit

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