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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. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  2. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  3. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  4. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  5. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  6. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  7. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  8. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  9. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  10. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  11. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  12. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  13. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  14. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  15. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  16. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  17. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  18. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  19. The ________________ went through the wall.
  20. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  21. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  22. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  23. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  24. I'd like to play a game 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. bear — the animal
  3. nail — for a hammer
  4. chair — a leader
  5. chair — a professorship
  6. bear — the animal
  7. mouse — the animal
  8. bear — to put up with
  9. chair — to sit on
  10. bank — of a river
  11. mouse — the animal
  12. bank — for money
  13. bark — a dog's sound
  14. bark — to shout
  15. kid — child
  16. kid — to tease
  17. squash — to crush
  18. bark — of a tree
  19. nail — for a hammer
  20. bank — for money
  21. squash — the vegetable
  22. mouse — for a computer
  23. nail — on a finger
  24. squash — the sport

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