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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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Word bank
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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: kid · stick · mark · fine · pass · tube · chair · plane

  1. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  2. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  3. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  4. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  5. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  6. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  7. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  8. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  9. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  10. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  11. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  12. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  13. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  14. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  15. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  16. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  17. I'll be taking the ________________.
  18. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  19. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  20. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  21. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  22. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  23. The ________________ took off on time.
  24. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. kid — to tease
  2. stick — a piece of wood
  3. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  4. fine — a penalty
  5. mark — a trace
  6. stick — to attach or keep to
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. plane — a tool
  9. pass — to succeed
  10. chair — to sit on
  11. mark — to pay attention
  12. kid — child
  13. pass — to spend time
  14. chair — a leader
  15. fine — high quality
  16. tube — a container
  17. tube — the underground
  18. fine — all right
  19. plane — in geometry
  20. pass — a permit
  21. tube — in a tire
  22. mark — a grade
  23. plane — an aircraft
  24. chair — a professorship

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