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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 ________________ took off on time.
  2. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  3. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  4. That must've been a ________________.
  5. The ________________ market has crashed.
  6. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  7. My father caught me by the ________________.
  8. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  9. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  10. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  11. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  12. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  13. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  14. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  15. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  16. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  17. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  18. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  19. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  20. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  21. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  22. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  23. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  24. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — an aircraft
  2. fine — high quality
  3. firm — decided
  4. rush — a thrill
  5. stock — shares
  6. rush — hurry
  7. arm — part of the body
  8. plane — a tool
  9. rush — to hurry
  10. snap — to speak sharply
  11. stock — goods
  12. arm — part of the body
  13. stock — a soup base
  14. kid — to tease
  15. snap — to click
  16. fine — all right
  17. fine — a penalty
  18. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  19. firm — a company
  20. snap — to snap out of it
  21. arm — a part of something
  22. firm — steady
  23. plane — in geometry
  24. kid — child

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