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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 120 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: plane · dip · fork · kid · stand · ball · rock · bay

  1. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  2. My mare is ________________ in color.
  3. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  4. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  5. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  6. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  7. I can't ________________ this cold.
  8. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  9. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  10. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  11. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  12. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  13. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  14. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  15. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  16. The King held a masked ________________.
  17. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  18. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  19. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  20. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  21. The ________________ took off on time.
  22. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  23. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  24. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?

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

Answer key

  1. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  2. bay — a horse colour
  3. dip — to dunk
  4. ball — a round shape
  5. fork — a garden tool
  6. fork — to eat with
  7. stand — to bear
  8. rock — to move gently
  9. bay — a part of the sea
  10. stand — on your feet
  11. plane — in geometry
  12. kid — to tease
  13. bay — to keep at bay
  14. plane — a tool
  15. rock — a stone
  16. ball — a dance
  17. dip — a sauce
  18. fork — in a road
  19. dip — to sink
  20. ball — a great time
  21. plane — an aircraft
  22. kid — child
  23. stand — for spectators
  24. rock — music

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