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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. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  2. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  3. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  4. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  5. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  6. The ________________ took off on time.
  7. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  8. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  9. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  10. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  11. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  12. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  13. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  14. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  15. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  16. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  17. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  18. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  19. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  20. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  21. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  22. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  23. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  24. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — part of the body
  2. plane — in geometry
  3. plane — a tool
  4. bore — to tire
  5. bat — the animal
  6. plane — an aircraft
  7. object — to protest
  8. capital — a big letter
  9. object — a thing
  10. deal — a big deal
  11. bore — gave birth
  12. hand — in cards
  13. pound — a weight
  14. pound — for dogs
  15. pound — to hit hard
  16. hand — help
  17. bore — to drill
  18. bat — for baseball
  19. capital — money
  20. deal — an agreement
  21. capital — a city
  22. object — an aim
  23. bat — in an idiom
  24. deal — to handle

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