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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. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  2. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  3. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  4. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  5. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  6. This piece is in a major ________________.
  7. The ________________ took off on time.
  8. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  9. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  10. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  11. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  12. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  13. Have you settled on a ________________?
  14. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  15. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  16. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  17. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  18. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  19. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  20. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  21. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  22. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  23. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  24. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.

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

Answer key

  1. object — to protest
  2. object — an aim
  3. date — on the calendar
  4. craft — boats
  5. plane — a tool
  6. key — in music
  7. plane — an aircraft
  8. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  9. chip — to eat
  10. key — the most important part
  11. craft — a handicraft
  12. date — the fruit
  13. date — on the calendar
  14. chip — for betting
  15. object — a thing
  16. lie — an untruth
  17. lie — to recline
  18. key — for a lock
  19. lie — an untruth
  20. craft — a skill
  21. chip — in a computer
  22. plane — in geometry
  23. kid — child
  24. kid — to tease

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