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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. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  2. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  3. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  4. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  5. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  6. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  7. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  8. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  9. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  10. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  11. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  12. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  13. That must've been a ________________.
  14. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  15. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  16. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  17. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  18. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  19. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  20. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  21. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  22. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  23. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  24. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. chest — a box
  2. pass — to spend time
  3. kid — child
  4. bear — the animal
  5. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  6. squash — to crush
  7. cap — a hat
  8. club — a group
  9. chest — of your body
  10. cap — a lid
  11. rush — hurry
  12. pass — to succeed
  13. rush — a thrill
  14. kid — to tease
  15. squash — the sport
  16. pass — a permit
  17. club — for dancing
  18. bear — to put up with
  19. chest — of your body
  20. cap — of ice
  21. club — for golf
  22. rush — to hurry
  23. squash — the vegetable
  24. bear — the animal

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