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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 from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: plane · jam · wind · kick · fork · pass · kid · last

  1. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  2. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  3. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  4. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  5. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  6. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  7. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  8. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  9. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  10. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  11. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  12. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  13. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  14. The ________________ took off on time.
  15. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  16. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  17. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  18. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  19. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  20. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  21. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  22. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  23. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  24. False peace will not ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. jam — to spread on bread
  2. jam — a tight spot
  3. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  4. wind — moving air
  5. last — finally
  6. wind — to turn a key
  7. plane — a tool
  8. kick — a thrill
  9. kick — with a leg
  10. pass — to spend time
  11. kid — child
  12. plane — in geometry
  13. fork — to eat with
  14. plane — an aircraft
  15. kid — to tease
  16. fork — in a road
  17. pass — a permit
  18. jam — in traffic
  19. kick — in football
  20. wind — moving air
  21. pass — to succeed
  22. fork — a garden tool
  23. last — final
  24. last — to go on

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