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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. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  2. The ________________ took off on time.
  3. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  4. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  5. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  6. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  7. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  8. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  9. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  10. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  11. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  12. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  13. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  14. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  15. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  16. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  17. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  18. Did you ________________ the meat?
  19. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  20. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  21. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  22. My mare is ________________ in color.
  23. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  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 — child
  2. plane — an aircraft
  3. pass — to succeed
  4. plane — a tool
  5. scale — in music
  6. scale — for weighing
  7. shower — rain
  8. cue — a signal
  9. kid — to tease
  10. pass — a permit
  11. cue — for pool
  12. shower — a meteor shower
  13. cue — a hint
  14. bay — a part of the sea
  15. pass — to spend time
  16. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  17. shower — to wash
  18. season — to add flavour
  19. bay — to keep at bay
  20. season — in sport
  21. scale — size or range
  22. bay — a horse colour
  23. season — of the year
  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