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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: firm · plane · jam · mine · season · bore · rock · kid

  1. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  2. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  3. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  4. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  5. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  6. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  7. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  8. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  9. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  10. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  11. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  12. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  13. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  14. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  15. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  16. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  17. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  18. The ________________ took off on time.
  19. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  20. Did you ________________ the meat?
  21. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  22. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  23. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  24. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. kid — child
  2. jam — in traffic
  3. jam — a tight spot
  4. firm — steady
  5. mine — an explosive
  6. bore — to tire
  7. plane — a tool
  8. rock — to move gently
  9. bore — to drill
  10. plane — in geometry
  11. rock — a stone
  12. season — of the year
  13. bore — gave birth
  14. mine — belonging to me
  15. mine — for digging
  16. jam — to spread on bread
  17. kid — to tease
  18. plane — an aircraft
  19. firm — a company
  20. season — to add flavour
  21. rock — music
  22. firm — decided
  23. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  24. season — in sport

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