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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. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  3. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  4. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  5. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  6. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  7. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  8. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  9. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  10. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  11. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  12. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  13. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  14. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  15. Have you found your soul ________________?
  16. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  17. She's very handy with a ________________.
  18. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  19. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  20. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  21. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  22. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  23. He works in a ________________ mill.
  24. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.

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

Answer key

  1. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  2. saw — past of 'see'
  3. cap — of ice
  4. mark — to pay attention
  5. squash — the vegetable
  6. bear — the animal
  7. rest — what's left
  8. bear — the animal
  9. cap — a hat
  10. mate — a friend
  11. rest — a break
  12. bear — to put up with
  13. mark — a grade
  14. kid — to tease
  15. mate — a partner
  16. squash — to crush
  17. saw — the tool
  18. mate — to breed
  19. squash — the sport
  20. rest — what's left
  21. kid — child
  22. cap — a lid
  23. saw — the tool
  24. mark — a trace

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