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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. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  2. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  3. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  4. The ________________ took off on time.
  5. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  6. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  7. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  8. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  9. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  10. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  11. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  12. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  13. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  14. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  15. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  16. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  17. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  18. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  19. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  20. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  21. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  22. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  23. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  24. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.

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

Answer key

  1. kid — to tease
  2. root — the cause
  3. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  4. plane — an aircraft
  5. firm — steady
  6. craft — a handicraft
  7. root — of a word
  8. mine — an explosive
  9. firm — decided
  10. dip — to dunk
  11. kick — a thrill
  12. craft — boats
  13. plane — in geometry
  14. kick — with a leg
  15. root — of a plant
  16. firm — a company
  17. kick — in football
  18. dip — a sauce
  19. craft — a skill
  20. kid — child
  21. plane — a tool
  22. mine — belonging to me
  23. mine — for digging
  24. dip — to sink

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