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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. The ________________ took off on time.
  2. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  3. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  4. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  5. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  6. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  7. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  8. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  9. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  10. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  11. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  12. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  13. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  14. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  15. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  16. Did you ________________ the meat?
  17. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  18. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  19. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  20. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  21. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  22. Don't do anything ________________.
  23. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  24. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — an aircraft
  2. season — of the year
  3. toast — the most admired
  4. bowl — to roll
  5. rest — a break
  6. plane — in geometry
  7. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  8. toast — a drink to someone
  9. plane — a tool
  10. rash — on the skin
  11. deal — to handle
  12. rash — a series
  13. bowl — a football final
  14. kid — child
  15. deal — a big deal
  16. season — to add flavour
  17. bowl — a dish
  18. toast — bread
  19. rest — what's left
  20. rest — what's left
  21. season — in sport
  22. rash — hasty
  23. deal — an agreement
  24. kid — to tease

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