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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 soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  3. Have you met the new head ________________?
  4. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  5. The light ________________ burned out.
  6. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  7. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  8. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  9. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  10. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  11. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  12. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  13. That was ________________ to happen.
  14. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  15. I've got to change the light ________________.
  16. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  17. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  18. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  19. False peace will not ________________.
  20. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  21. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  22. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  23. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  24. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!

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

Answer key

  1. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  2. drill — army training
  3. coach — a trainer
  4. fine — a penalty
  5. bulb — for light
  6. kid — to tease
  7. drill — the tool
  8. last — finally
  9. ruler — a monarch
  10. drill — a practice
  11. bulb — of a plant
  12. kid — child
  13. bound — certain
  14. coach — pulled by horses
  15. bulb — for light
  16. fine — high quality
  17. ruler — for measuring
  18. fine — all right
  19. last — to go on
  20. bound — obliged
  21. ruler — for measuring
  22. coach — a trainer
  23. bound — tied together
  24. last — final

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