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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. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  2. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  3. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  4. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  5. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  6. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  7. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  8. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  9. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  10. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  11. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  12. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  13. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  14. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  15. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  16. The ________________ went through the wall.
  17. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  18. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  19. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  20. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  21. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  22. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  23. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  24. The ________________ took off on time.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — in geometry
  2. clip — for paper
  3. can — a tin
  4. race — the arms race
  5. can — to be able to
  6. kid — child
  7. mouse — for a computer
  8. race — humankind
  9. mouse — the animal
  10. face — to point toward
  11. kid — to tease
  12. face — to confront
  13. race — a contest
  14. clip — a video
  15. can — a tin
  16. nail — for a hammer
  17. mouse — the animal
  18. nail — on a finger
  19. nail — for a hammer
  20. face — part of the head
  21. clip — to cut
  22. plane — a tool
  23. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  24. plane — an aircraft

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