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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. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  2. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  3. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  4. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  5. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  6. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  7. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  8. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  9. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  10. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  11. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  12. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  13. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  14. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  15. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  16. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  17. Have you met the new head ________________?
  18. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  19. He is an ace ________________.
  20. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  21. The King held a masked ________________.
  22. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  23. The ________________ took off on time.
  24. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.

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

Answer key

  1. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  2. mine — an explosive
  3. present — there
  4. coach — a trainer
  5. present — the time now
  6. mine — for digging
  7. ball — a round shape
  8. kid — child
  9. leaves — lets stay
  10. coach — pulled by horses
  11. plane — a tool
  12. mine — belonging to me
  13. present — a gift
  14. pitcher — a jug
  15. leaves — to go away
  16. pitcher — a jug
  17. coach — a trainer
  18. leaves — of a tree
  19. pitcher — in baseball
  20. plane — in geometry
  21. ball — a dance
  22. kid — to tease
  23. plane — an aircraft
  24. ball — a great time

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