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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: foot · stick · can · lie · plane · wind · bowl · kid

  1. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  2. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  3. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  4. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  5. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  6. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  7. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  8. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  9. The ________________ took off on time.
  10. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  11. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  12. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  13. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  14. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  15. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  16. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  17. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  18. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  19. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  20. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  21. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  22. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  23. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  24. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.

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

Answer key

  1. foot — a measure
  2. bowl — to roll
  3. kid — to tease
  4. can — a tin
  5. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  6. can — a tin
  7. wind — moving air
  8. kid — child
  9. plane — an aircraft
  10. lie — an untruth
  11. stick — a piece of wood
  12. foot — part of the body
  13. lie — to recline
  14. plane — in geometry
  15. bowl — a football final
  16. bowl — a dish
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. wind — moving air
  19. lie — an untruth
  20. plane — a tool
  21. wind — to turn a key
  22. can — to be able to
  23. stick — to attach or keep to
  24. foot — the bottom

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