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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. He works in a ________________ mill.
  3. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  4. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  5. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  6. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  7. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  8. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  9. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  10. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  11. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  12. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  13. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  14. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  15. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  16. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  17. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  18. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  19. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  20. She's very handy with a ________________.
  21. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  22. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  23. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  24. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.

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 — the tool
  3. saw — past of 'see'
  4. kid — child
  5. band — a ring
  6. stick — a piece of wood
  7. band — a music group
  8. lean — thin
  9. squash — the sport
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. leaves — to go away
  12. stick — to attach or keep to
  13. leaves — of a tree
  14. squash — the vegetable
  15. band — a rubber band
  16. kid — to tease
  17. patient — calm and waiting
  18. squash — to crush
  19. leaves — lets stay
  20. saw — the tool
  21. patient — a sick person
  22. patient — a sick person
  23. lean — to bend
  24. lean — to rest against

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