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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. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  2. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  3. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  4. The ________________ went through the wall.
  5. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  6. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  7. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  8. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  9. That was ________________ to happen.
  10. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  11. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  12. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  13. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  14. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  15. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  16. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  17. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  18. I'll be taking the ________________.
  19. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  20. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  21. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  22. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  23. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  24. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — tied together
  2. kid — child
  3. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  4. nail — for a hammer
  5. snap — to speak sharply
  6. snap — to click
  7. fan — a supporter
  8. drill — a practice
  9. bound — certain
  10. fan — a supporter
  11. deal — an agreement
  12. snap — to snap out of it
  13. drill — army training
  14. kid — to tease
  15. deal — a big deal
  16. fan — to cool the air
  17. nail — on a finger
  18. tube — the underground
  19. nail — for a hammer
  20. tube — in a tire
  21. bound — obliged
  22. deal — to handle
  23. tube — a container
  24. drill — the tool

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