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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. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  3. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  4. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  5. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  6. The ________________ took off on time.
  7. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  8. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  9. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  10. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  11. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  12. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  13. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  14. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  15. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  16. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  17. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  18. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  19. This piece is in a major ________________.
  20. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  21. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  22. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  23. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  24. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. kid — to tease
  2. shower — to wash
  3. pound — a weight
  4. shower — a meteor shower
  5. pound — for dogs
  6. plane — an aircraft
  7. pound — to hit hard
  8. foot — the bottom
  9. foot — a measure
  10. chair — a professorship
  11. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  12. mouse — the animal
  13. chair — to sit on
  14. mouse — the animal
  15. mouse — for a computer
  16. plane — a tool
  17. kid — child
  18. shower — rain
  19. key — in music
  20. key — for a lock
  21. foot — part of the body
  22. chair — a leader
  23. key — the most important part
  24. plane — in geometry

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