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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. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  2. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  3. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  4. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  5. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  6. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  7. That was ________________ to happen.
  8. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  9. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  10. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  11. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  12. I'll be taking the ________________.
  13. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  14. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  15. That must've been a ________________.
  16. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  17. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  18. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  19. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  20. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  21. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  22. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  23. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  24. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.

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 — to tease
  3. bark — a dog's sound
  4. rush — hurry
  5. bound — obliged
  6. race — a contest
  7. bound — certain
  8. tube — a container
  9. current — electric
  10. leaves — of a tree
  11. bark — of a tree
  12. tube — the underground
  13. race — the arms race
  14. current — happening now
  15. rush — a thrill
  16. kid — child
  17. rush — to hurry
  18. leaves — lets stay
  19. race — humankind
  20. bound — tied together
  21. leaves — to go away
  22. bark — to shout
  23. current — of water
  24. tube — in a tire

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