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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. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  2. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  3. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  4. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  5. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  6. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  7. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  8. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  9. You don't need to ________________ round.
  10. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  11. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  12. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  13. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  14. We're almost out of ________________.
  15. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  16. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  17. She's very handy with a ________________.
  18. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  19. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  20. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  21. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  22. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  23. He works in a ________________ mill.
  24. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — to bend
  2. mine — an explosive
  3. cue — for pool
  4. deal — a big deal
  5. cue — a hint
  6. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  7. lean — to rest against
  8. kid — child
  9. pop — to visit
  10. deal — to handle
  11. mine — for digging
  12. ruler — for measuring
  13. saw — past of 'see'
  14. pop — soda
  15. deal — an agreement
  16. cue — a signal
  17. saw — the tool
  18. pop — music
  19. ruler — a monarch
  20. kid — to tease
  21. lean — thin
  22. mine — belonging to me
  23. saw — the tool
  24. ruler — for measuring

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