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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. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  2. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  3. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  4. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  5. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  6. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  7. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  8. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  9. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  10. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  11. We're on a ________________ here.
  12. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  13. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  14. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  15. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  16. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  17. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  18. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  19. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  20. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  21. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  22. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  23. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  24. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.

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

Answer key

  1. can — to be able to
  2. can — a tin
  3. object — a thing
  4. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  5. kick — in football
  6. object — to protest
  7. kid — child
  8. vault — in gymnastics
  9. can — a tin
  10. vault — a safe
  11. roll — on a roll
  12. roll — a list
  13. object — an aim
  14. wind — to turn a key
  15. roll — a cake
  16. kick — with a leg
  17. band — a music group
  18. band — a rubber band
  19. kick — a thrill
  20. vault — an arched ceiling
  21. wind — moving air
  22. band — a ring
  23. wind — moving air
  24. kid — to tease

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