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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. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  2. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  3. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  4. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  5. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  6. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  7. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  8. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  9. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  10. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  11. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  12. I've got to change the light ________________.
  13. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  14. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  15. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  16. The ________________ took off on time.
  17. Don't do anything ________________.
  18. The light ________________ burned out.
  19. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  20. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  21. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  22. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  23. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  24. That must've been a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — for a computer
  2. firm — steady
  3. kid — to tease
  4. kid — child
  5. firm — decided
  6. rash — on the skin
  7. mouse — the animal
  8. rush — to hurry
  9. plane — in geometry
  10. rush — hurry
  11. firm — a company
  12. bulb — for light
  13. degree — an amount
  14. plane — a tool
  15. bulb — of a plant
  16. plane — an aircraft
  17. rash — hasty
  18. bulb — for light
  19. rash — a series
  20. degree — temperature
  21. degree — from a university
  22. mouse — the animal
  23. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  24. rush — a thrill

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