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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: shower · arm · kick · spell · present · deal · date · plane

  1. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  2. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  3. The ________________ took off on time.
  4. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  5. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  6. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  7. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  8. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  9. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  10. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  11. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  12. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  13. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  14. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  15. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  16. My father caught me by the ________________.
  17. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  18. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  19. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  20. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  21. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  22. Have you settled on a ________________?
  23. How do you ________________ your surname?
  24. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.

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

Answer key

  1. present — there
  2. plane — in geometry
  3. plane — an aircraft
  4. plane — a tool
  5. date — the fruit
  6. deal — a big deal
  7. shower — to wash
  8. date — on the calendar
  9. present — the time now
  10. kick — a thrill
  11. spell — a short time
  12. deal — an agreement
  13. spell — magic
  14. shower — a meteor shower
  15. deal — to handle
  16. arm — part of the body
  17. arm — part of the body
  18. arm — a part of something
  19. present — a gift
  20. shower — rain
  21. kick — with a leg
  22. date — on the calendar
  23. spell — letters
  24. kick — in football

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