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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. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  2. He was locked up in a ________________.
  3. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  4. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  5. The ________________ took off on time.
  6. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  7. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  8. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  9. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  10. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  11. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  12. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  13. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  14. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  15. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  16. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  17. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  18. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  19. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  20. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  21. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  22. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  23. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  24. Did you ________________ the meat?

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

Answer key

  1. plane — a tool
  2. cell — in a prison
  3. cell — in biology
  4. band — a music group
  5. plane — an aircraft
  6. object — an aim
  7. kid — to tease
  8. deal — to handle
  9. cell — a phone
  10. lean — to rest against
  11. plane — in geometry
  12. season — in sport
  13. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  14. object — to protest
  15. kid — child
  16. lean — thin
  17. deal — an agreement
  18. object — a thing
  19. band — a rubber band
  20. deal — a big deal
  21. lean — to bend
  22. season — of the year
  23. band — a ring
  24. season — to add flavour

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