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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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468
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: object · face · plane · squash · bear · racket · kid · file

  1. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  2. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  3. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  4. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  5. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  6. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  7. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  8. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  9. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  10. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  11. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  12. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  13. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  14. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  15. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  16. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  17. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  18. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  19. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  20. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  21. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  22. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  23. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  24. The ________________ took off on time.

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

Answer key

  1. kid — child
  2. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  3. racket — for tennis
  4. squash — the sport
  5. file — a document
  6. object — to protest
  7. object — an aim
  8. bear — to put up with
  9. kid — to tease
  10. racket — a loud noise
  11. plane — a tool
  12. file — a tool
  13. squash — to crush
  14. object — a thing
  15. face — part of the head
  16. face — to point toward
  17. racket — for tennis
  18. squash — the vegetable
  19. file — a line of people
  20. bear — the animal
  21. face — to confront
  22. bear — the animal
  23. plane — in geometry
  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