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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. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  3. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  4. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  5. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  6. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  7. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  8. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  9. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  10. The ________________ went through the wall.
  11. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  12. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  13. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  14. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  15. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  16. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  17. The ball is in your ________________.
  18. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  19. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  20. I've got to change the light ________________.
  21. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  22. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  23. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  24. The light ________________ burned out.

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

Answer key

  1. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  2. snap — to snap out of it
  3. foot — the bottom
  4. kid — to tease
  5. foot — a measure
  6. squash — to crush
  7. toast — bread
  8. court — of law
  9. squash — the sport
  10. nail — for a hammer
  11. nail — for a hammer
  12. toast — the most admired
  13. kid — child
  14. squash — the vegetable
  15. snap — to click
  16. toast — a drink to someone
  17. court — for sport
  18. bulb — of a plant
  19. court — of a king
  20. bulb — for light
  21. foot — part of the body
  22. nail — on a finger
  23. snap — to speak sharply
  24. bulb — for light

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