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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. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  3. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  4. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  5. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  6. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  7. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  8. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  9. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  10. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  11. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  12. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  13. There's no middle ________________.
  14. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  15. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  16. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  17. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  18. The ________________ went through the wall.
  19. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  20. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  21. How do you ________________ your surname?
  22. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  23. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  24. He keeps ________________ of his days.

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

Answer key

  1. kid — child
  2. wave — with your hand
  3. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  4. wave — a sudden rise
  5. bear — the animal
  6. bear — to put up with
  7. wave — of the sea
  8. nail — on a finger
  9. bear — the animal
  10. ground — the earth
  11. club — a group
  12. nail — for a hammer
  13. ground — a position
  14. ground — crushed
  15. club — for dancing
  16. spell — magic
  17. spell — a short time
  18. nail — for a hammer
  19. club — for golf
  20. track — a song
  21. spell — letters
  22. kid — to tease
  23. track — a path
  24. track — to keep track

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