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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 120 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. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  2. The ________________ took off on time.
  3. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  4. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  5. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  6. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  7. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  8. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  9. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  10. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  11. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  12. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  13. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  14. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  15. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  16. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  17. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  18. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  19. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  20. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  21. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  22. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  23. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  24. There's no middle ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. foot — the bottom
  2. plane — an aircraft
  3. foot — a measure
  4. kid — child
  5. plane — a tool
  6. fall — to drop
  7. bear — the animal
  8. fall — to drop
  9. ground — the earth
  10. deal — to handle
  11. ground — crushed
  12. bear — the animal
  13. kid — to tease
  14. prune — to trim
  15. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  16. plane — in geometry
  17. foot — part of the body
  18. bear — to put up with
  19. fall — the season
  20. prune — the fruit
  21. deal — an agreement
  22. prune — to trim
  23. deal — a big deal
  24. ground — a position

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