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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. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  2. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  3. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  4. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  5. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  6. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  7. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  8. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  9. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  10. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  11. We're on a ________________ here.
  12. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  13. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  14. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  15. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  16. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  17. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  18. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  19. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  20. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  21. The King held a masked ________________.
  22. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  23. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  24. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.

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

Answer key

  1. kid — child
  2. ball — a round shape
  3. pass — to succeed
  4. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  5. jam — a tight spot
  6. jam — in traffic
  7. ball — a great time
  8. wind — to turn a key
  9. fall — the season
  10. jam — to spread on bread
  11. roll — on a roll
  12. pass — to spend time
  13. kid — to tease
  14. pass — a permit
  15. leaves — to go away
  16. leaves — lets stay
  17. fall — to drop
  18. roll — a cake
  19. fall — to drop
  20. wind — moving air
  21. ball — a dance
  22. leaves — of a tree
  23. wind — moving air
  24. roll — a list

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