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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 muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  2. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  3. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  4. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  5. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  6. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  7. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  8. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  9. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  10. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  11. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  12. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  13. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  14. The ________________ took off on time.
  15. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  16. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  17. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  18. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  19. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  20. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  21. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  22. Did you ________________ the button?
  23. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  24. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.

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

Answer key

  1. track — a path
  2. press — newspapers
  3. kid — to tease
  4. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  5. scale — size or range
  6. kick — with a leg
  7. press — a publisher
  8. kid — child
  9. scale — for weighing
  10. lash — to lash out
  11. scale — in music
  12. bore — to tire
  13. bore — to drill
  14. plane — an aircraft
  15. track — to keep track
  16. lash — a whip stroke
  17. kick — in football
  18. track — a song
  19. kick — a thrill
  20. lash — an eyelash
  21. plane — in geometry
  22. press — to push
  23. bore — gave birth
  24. plane — a tool

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