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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: kid · rash · plane · mouse · rush · object · bat · face

  1. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  2. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  3. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  4. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  5. The ________________ took off on time.
  6. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  7. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  8. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  9. That must've been a ________________.
  10. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  11. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  12. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  13. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  14. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  15. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  16. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  17. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  18. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  19. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  20. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  21. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  22. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  23. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  24. Don't do anything ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. object — to protest
  2. mouse — the animal
  3. object — an aim
  4. bat — in an idiom
  5. plane — an aircraft
  6. rush — hurry
  7. mouse — for a computer
  8. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  9. rush — a thrill
  10. object — a thing
  11. plane — in geometry
  12. mouse — the animal
  13. rash — a series
  14. rash — on the skin
  15. face — to point toward
  16. plane — a tool
  17. face — part of the head
  18. bat — for baseball
  19. rush — to hurry
  20. face — to confront
  21. kid — child
  22. bat — the animal
  23. kid — to tease
  24. rash — hasty

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