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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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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. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  3. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  4. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  5. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  6. The King held a masked ________________.
  7. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  8. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  9. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  10. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  11. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  12. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  13. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  14. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  15. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  16. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  17. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  18. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  2. ball — a round shape
  3. object — to protest
  4. calf — a young animal
  5. mine — belonging to me
  6. ball — a dance
  7. calf — of the leg
  8. kid — to tease
  9. object — a thing
  10. mine — for digging
  11. calf — a young animal
  12. ball — a great time
  13. rock — a stone
  14. rock — music
  15. kid — child
  16. mine — an explosive
  17. rock — to move gently
  18. object — an aim

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