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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.

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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 had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  2. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  3. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  4. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  5. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  6. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  7. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  8. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  9. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  10. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  11. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  12. The ________________ took off on time.
  13. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  14. I've got to change the light ________________.
  15. Did you ________________ the meat?
  16. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  17. The light ________________ burned out.
  18. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  19. I'll be taking the ________________.
  20. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  21. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  22. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  23. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  24. The ball hit the back of the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. kid — child
  2. net — for catching
  3. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  4. rest — what's left
  5. plane — in geometry
  6. lash — a whip stroke
  7. rest — a break
  8. season — in sport
  9. bulb — of a plant
  10. plane — a tool
  11. tube — a container
  12. plane — an aircraft
  13. net — after costs
  14. bulb — for light
  15. season — to add flavour
  16. season — of the year
  17. bulb — for light
  18. kid — to tease
  19. tube — the underground
  20. lash — to lash out
  21. rest — what's left
  22. lash — an eyelash
  23. tube — in a tire
  24. net — in sport

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