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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. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  2. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  3. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  4. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  5. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  6. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  7. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  8. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  9. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  10. The ________________ took off on time.
  11. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  12. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  13. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  14. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  15. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  16. I can't ________________ this cold.
  17. That was a fun ________________.
  18. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  19. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  20. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  21. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  22. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  23. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  24. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. kick — a thrill
  2. firm — steady
  3. plane — a tool
  4. kid — to tease
  5. kick — in football
  6. hide — to keep secret
  7. stand — on your feet
  8. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  9. plane — in geometry
  10. plane — an aircraft
  11. kick — with a leg
  12. game — wild animals
  13. firm — a company
  14. game — a kind of play
  15. stand — for spectators
  16. stand — to bear
  17. game — a match
  18. kid — child
  19. firm — decided
  20. hide — animal skin
  21. hide — to keep secret
  22. mouse — the animal
  23. mouse — for a computer
  24. mouse — the animal

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