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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 116 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. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  2. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  3. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  4. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  5. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  6. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  7. The light ________________ burned out.
  8. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  9. The tickets are free of ________________.
  10. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  11. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  12. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  13. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  14. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  15. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  16. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  17. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  18. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  19. I've got to change the light ________________.
  20. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  21. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  22. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  23. My mare is ________________ in color.
  24. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.

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

Answer key

  1. kid — child
  2. bat — in an idiom
  3. object — to protest
  4. perch — the fish
  5. bay — to keep at bay
  6. bat — the animal
  7. bulb — for light
  8. staff — employees
  9. charge — a price
  10. staff — a stick
  11. perch — for a bird
  12. charge — in control
  13. staff — employees
  14. object — an aim
  15. bay — a part of the sea
  16. bulb — of a plant
  17. charge — electricity
  18. bat — for baseball
  19. bulb — for light
  20. kid — to tease
  21. object — a thing
  22. perch — for a bird
  23. bay — a horse colour
  24. kid — young goat (kid gloves)

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