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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. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  2. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  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. Have you found your soul ________________?
  6. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  7. The ________________ took off on time.
  8. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  9. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  10. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  11. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  12. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  13. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  14. What do you think of the new ________________?
  15. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  16. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  17. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  18. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  19. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  20. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  21. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  22. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  23. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  24. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.

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

Answer key

  1. kid — child
  2. fork — to eat with
  3. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  4. rest — what's left
  5. mate — a partner
  6. cabinet — a cupboard
  7. plane — an aircraft
  8. fork — in a road
  9. vault — an arched ceiling
  10. wake — to stop sleeping
  11. wake — a trail
  12. plane — in geometry
  13. fork — a garden tool
  14. cabinet — ministers
  15. mate — a friend
  16. rest — what's left
  17. wake — before a funeral
  18. cabinet — ministers
  19. vault — in gymnastics
  20. rest — a break
  21. vault — a safe
  22. kid — to tease
  23. plane — a tool
  24. mate — to breed

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