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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. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  2. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  3. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  4. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  5. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  6. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  7. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  8. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  9. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  10. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  11. You don't need to ________________ round.
  12. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  13. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  14. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  15. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  16. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  17. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  18. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  19. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  20. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  21. Have you found your soul ________________?
  22. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  23. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  24. We're almost out of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  2. row — a line
  3. row — to paddle
  4. ruler — for measuring
  5. fan — a supporter
  6. pop — music
  7. spring — a coil
  8. rock — a stone
  9. spring — of water
  10. ruler — for measuring
  11. pop — to visit
  12. fan — to cool the air
  13. fan — a supporter
  14. row — a quarrel
  15. mate — a friend
  16. rock — to move gently
  17. spring — the season
  18. rock — music
  19. mate — to breed
  20. kid — to tease
  21. mate — a partner
  22. kid — child
  23. ruler — a monarch
  24. pop — soda

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