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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. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  3. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  4. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  5. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  6. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  7. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  8. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  9. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  10. The King held a masked ________________.
  11. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  12. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  13. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  14. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  15. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  16. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  17. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  18. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  19. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  20. The tickets are free of ________________.
  21. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  22. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  23. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  24. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.

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

Answer key

  1. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  2. ball — a round shape
  3. trunk — of a car
  4. bank — of a river
  5. root — of a word
  6. bank — for money
  7. mine — an explosive
  8. dip — to sink
  9. kid — child
  10. ball — a dance
  11. root — the cause
  12. dip — to dunk
  13. ball — a great time
  14. root — of a plant
  15. kid — to tease
  16. trunk — of an elephant
  17. mine — for digging
  18. dip — a sauce
  19. trunk — of a tree
  20. charge — a price
  21. charge — in control
  22. charge — electricity
  23. bank — for money
  24. mine — belonging to me

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