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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. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  3. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  4. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  5. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  6. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  7. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  8. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  9. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  10. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  11. The ________________ took off on time.
  12. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  13. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  14. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  15. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  16. That was ________________ to happen.
  17. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  18. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  19. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  20. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  21. He is an ace ________________.
  22. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  23. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  24. A ________________ is just a dried plum.

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. lean — to rest against
  4. bank — for money
  5. plane — in geometry
  6. pitcher — a jug
  7. prune — to trim
  8. pitcher — a jug
  9. kid — to tease
  10. bank — of a river
  11. plane — an aircraft
  12. kick — with a leg
  13. bound — tied together
  14. plane — a tool
  15. lean — to bend
  16. bound — certain
  17. bank — for money
  18. kick — in football
  19. bound — obliged
  20. prune — to trim
  21. pitcher — in baseball
  22. kick — a thrill
  23. lean — thin
  24. prune — the fruit

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