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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 116 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.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
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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. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  2. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  3. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  4. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  5. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  6. The ________________ took off on time.
  7. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  8. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  9. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  10. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  11. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  12. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  13. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  14. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  15. How do you ________________ your surname?
  16. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  17. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  18. That was a fun ________________.
  19. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  20. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  21. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  22. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  23. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  24. The King held a masked ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. kick — a thrill
  2. bowl — to roll
  3. plane — in geometry
  4. current — happening now
  5. kid — to tease
  6. plane — an aircraft
  7. kid — child
  8. ball — a great time
  9. bowl — a football final
  10. plane — a tool
  11. game — a kind of play
  12. ball — a round shape
  13. current — of water
  14. spell — magic
  15. spell — letters
  16. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  17. spell — a short time
  18. game — a match
  19. bowl — a dish
  20. game — wild animals
  21. kick — with a leg
  22. current — electric
  23. kick — in football
  24. ball — a dance

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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