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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. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  2. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  3. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  4. David sat on the ________________.
  5. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  6. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  7. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  8. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  9. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  10. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  11. The ________________ market has crashed.
  12. I've got to change the light ________________.
  13. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  14. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  15. The light ________________ burned out.
  16. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  17. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  18. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  19. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  20. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  21. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  22. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  23. The ________________ took off on time.
  24. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — in geometry
  2. cap — a hat
  3. deal — an agreement
  4. swing — to play on
  5. deal — to handle
  6. cap — of ice
  7. kid — to tease
  8. stock — goods
  9. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  10. deal — a big deal
  11. stock — shares
  12. bulb — for light
  13. swing — music
  14. cap — a lid
  15. bulb — for light
  16. stock — a soup base
  17. swing — in golf
  18. wake — to stop sleeping
  19. wake — before a funeral
  20. plane — a tool
  21. wake — a trail
  22. kid — child
  23. plane — an aircraft
  24. bulb — of a plant

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