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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. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  2. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  3. That must've been a ________________.
  4. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  5. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  6. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  7. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  8. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  9. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  10. Where did you ________________ them?
  11. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  12. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  13. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  14. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  15. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  16. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  17. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  18. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  19. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  20. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  21. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  22. The ________________ took off on time.
  23. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  24. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.

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

Answer key

  1. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  2. kid — child
  3. rush — a thrill
  4. plane — in geometry
  5. capital — a big letter
  6. scale — size or range
  7. mug — a face
  8. scale — for weighing
  9. kick — with a leg
  10. mug — to rob
  11. kid — to tease
  12. toast — bread
  13. capital — money
  14. scale — in music
  15. kick — a thrill
  16. plane — a tool
  17. toast — a drink to someone
  18. mug — a cup
  19. capital — a city
  20. rush — to hurry
  21. toast — the most admired
  22. plane — an aircraft
  23. rush — hurry
  24. kick — in football

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