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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. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  2. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  3. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  4. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  5. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  6. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  7. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  8. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  9. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  10. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  11. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  12. How do you ________________ your surname?
  13. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  14. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  15. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  16. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  17. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  18. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  19. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  20. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  21. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  22. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  23. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  24. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.

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

Answer key

  1. kid — child
  2. drill — army training
  3. drill — a practice
  4. kid — to tease
  5. track — a path
  6. spell — a short time
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. band — a rubber band
  9. object — an aim
  10. stick — to attach or keep to
  11. stick — a piece of wood
  12. spell — letters
  13. track — a song
  14. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  15. spell — magic
  16. staff — employees
  17. drill — the tool
  18. staff — employees
  19. band — a ring
  20. track — to keep track
  21. band — a music group
  22. object — to protest
  23. staff — a stick
  24. object — a thing

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