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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 120 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. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  3. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  4. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  5. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  6. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  7. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  8. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  9. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  10. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  11. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  12. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  13. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  14. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  15. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  16. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  17. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  18. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  19. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  20. False peace will not ________________.
  21. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  22. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  23. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  24. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.

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

Answer key

  1. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  2. kid — child
  3. last — final
  4. foot — part of the body
  5. bark — to shout
  6. foot — a measure
  7. bark — of a tree
  8. safe — out of danger
  9. wake — a trail
  10. safe — out of danger
  11. wind — moving air
  12. bass — low music
  13. wind — moving air
  14. kid — to tease
  15. last — finally
  16. bass — the instrument
  17. wake — before a funeral
  18. safe — a strongbox
  19. wind — to turn a key
  20. last — to go on
  21. bass — the fish
  22. bark — a dog's sound
  23. wake — to stop sleeping
  24. foot — the bottom

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