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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 116 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. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  3. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  4. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  5. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  6. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  7. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  8. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  9. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  10. What do you think of the new ________________?
  11. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  12. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  13. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  14. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  15. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  16. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  17. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  18. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  19. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  20. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  21. He works in a ________________ mill.
  22. She's very handy with a ________________.
  23. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  24. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. kid — child
  2. bank — of a river
  3. can — to be able to
  4. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  5. can — a tin
  6. kid — to tease
  7. drill — a practice
  8. lean — thin
  9. current — of water
  10. cabinet — ministers
  11. drill — army training
  12. lean — to rest against
  13. current — happening now
  14. can — a tin
  15. current — electric
  16. lean — to bend
  17. bank — for money
  18. drill — the tool
  19. cabinet — ministers
  20. saw — past of 'see'
  21. saw — the tool
  22. saw — the tool
  23. bank — for money
  24. cabinet — a cupboard

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