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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. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  2. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  3. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  4. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  5. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  6. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  7. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  8. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  9. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  10. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  11. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  12. The ball is in your ________________.
  13. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  14. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  15. The ________________ went through the wall.
  16. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  17. The ________________ took off on time.
  18. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  19. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  20. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  21. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  22. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  23. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  24. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?

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

Answer key

  1. present — there
  2. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  3. kid — child
  4. plane — in geometry
  5. can — a tin
  6. plane — a tool
  7. row — a line
  8. fan — a supporter
  9. present — the time now
  10. nail — for a hammer
  11. court — of law
  12. court — for sport
  13. fan — to cool the air
  14. court — of a king
  15. nail — for a hammer
  16. row — a quarrel
  17. plane — an aircraft
  18. row — to paddle
  19. can — a tin
  20. nail — on a finger
  21. can — to be able to
  22. fan — a supporter
  23. kid — to tease
  24. present — a gift

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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