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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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  2. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  3. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  4. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  5. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  6. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  7. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  8. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  9. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  10. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  11. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  12. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  13. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  14. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  15. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  16. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  17. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  18. A ________________ is just a dried plum.

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

Answer key

  1. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  2. rest — what's left
  3. kid — child
  4. prune — to trim
  5. mine — belonging to me
  6. prune — to trim
  7. bowl — a dish
  8. bowl — a football final
  9. kid — to tease
  10. rest — what's left
  11. mine — an explosive
  12. mine — for digging
  13. can — a tin
  14. bowl — to roll
  15. can — a tin
  16. can — to be able to
  17. rest — a break
  18. prune — the fruit

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