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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. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  2. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  3. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  4. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  5. The ________________ took off on time.
  6. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  7. Have you found your soul ________________?
  8. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  9. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  10. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  11. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  12. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  13. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  14. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  15. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  16. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  17. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  18. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  19. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  20. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  21. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  22. I can't ________________ this cold.
  23. The ________________ went through the wall.
  24. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  2. can — a tin
  3. stand — on your feet
  4. nail — on a finger
  5. plane — an aircraft
  6. kid — to tease
  7. mate — a partner
  8. kid — child
  9. pitch — a sales talk
  10. fall — to drop
  11. mate — a friend
  12. can — to be able to
  13. fall — the season
  14. plane — a tool
  15. mate — to breed
  16. fall — to drop
  17. stand — for spectators
  18. nail — for a hammer
  19. pitch — a sports field
  20. pitch — completely
  21. can — a tin
  22. stand — to bear
  23. nail — for a hammer
  24. plane — in geometry

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