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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 muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  3. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  4. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  5. The light ________________ burned out.
  6. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  7. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  8. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  9. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  10. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  11. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  12. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  13. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  14. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  15. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  16. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  17. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  18. I've got to change the light ________________.
  19. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  20. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  21. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  22. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  23. It's one o'clock ________________.
  24. We're on a ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  2. track — a path
  3. rule — to rule out
  4. drill — the tool
  5. bulb — for light
  6. rule — a law
  7. roll — a list
  8. bulb — of a plant
  9. kid — to tease
  10. tear — from crying
  11. roll — a cake
  12. sharp — clever
  13. drill — a practice
  14. drill — army training
  15. tear — to rip
  16. rule — government
  17. track — a song
  18. bulb — for light
  19. tear — from crying
  20. kid — child
  21. sharp — with an edge
  22. track — to keep track
  23. sharp — exactly
  24. roll — on a roll

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