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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. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  2. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  3. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  4. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  5. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  6. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  7. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  8. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  9. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  10. That was a fun ________________.
  11. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  12. False peace will not ________________.
  13. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  14. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  15. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  16. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  17. The ________________ took off on time.
  18. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  19. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  20. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  21. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  22. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  23. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  24. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.

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

Answer key

  1. game — wild animals
  2. last — finally
  3. lie — to recline
  4. lie — an untruth
  5. plane — a tool
  6. kid — child
  7. fan — to cool the air
  8. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  9. lie — an untruth
  10. game — a match
  11. current — of water
  12. last — to go on
  13. deal — to handle
  14. kid — to tease
  15. current — happening now
  16. plane — in geometry
  17. plane — an aircraft
  18. deal — an agreement
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. deal — a big deal
  21. current — electric
  22. fan — a supporter
  23. last — final
  24. game — a kind of play

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