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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. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  2. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  3. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  4. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  5. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  6. I'll be taking the ________________.
  7. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  8. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  9. Don't do anything ________________.
  10. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  11. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  12. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  13. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  14. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  15. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  16. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  17. My mare is ________________ in color.
  18. David sat on the ________________.
  19. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  20. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  21. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  22. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  23. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  24. I'd like to play a game of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — on the skin
  2. bay — a part of the sea
  3. tube — in a tire
  4. bay — to keep at bay
  5. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  6. tube — the underground
  7. shower — rain
  8. shower — to wash
  9. rash — hasty
  10. kid — to tease
  11. tube — a container
  12. shower — a meteor shower
  13. squash — the vegetable
  14. fine — a penalty
  15. swing — music
  16. fine — high quality
  17. bay — a horse colour
  18. swing — to play on
  19. fine — all right
  20. kid — child
  21. squash — to crush
  22. rash — a series
  23. swing — in golf
  24. squash — the sport

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