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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 116 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: hide · kid · stick · bat · root · cue · plane · key

  1. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  2. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  3. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  4. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  5. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  6. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  7. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  8. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  9. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  10. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  11. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  12. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  13. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  14. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  15. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  16. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  17. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  18. This piece is in a major ________________.
  19. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  20. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  21. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  22. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  23. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  24. The ________________ took off on time.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — to attach or keep to
  2. kid — to tease
  3. bat — in an idiom
  4. key — for a lock
  5. root — of a word
  6. root — the cause
  7. bat — for baseball
  8. hide — to keep secret
  9. plane — a tool
  10. hide — animal skin
  11. bat — the animal
  12. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  13. key — the most important part
  14. stick — a piece of wood
  15. cue — for pool
  16. root — of a plant
  17. cue — a signal
  18. key — in music
  19. kid — child
  20. plane — in geometry
  21. cue — a hint
  22. stick — a piece of wood
  23. hide — to keep secret
  24. plane — an aircraft

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