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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. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  3. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  4. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  5. We're on a ________________ here.
  6. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  7. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  8. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  9. I'll be taking the ________________.
  10. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  11. You don't need to ________________ round.
  12. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  13. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  14. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  15. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  16. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  17. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  18. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  19. We're almost out of ________________.
  20. It's one o'clock ________________.
  21. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  22. False peace will not ________________.
  23. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  24. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.

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 — to put up with
  3. pop — music
  4. tube — in a tire
  5. roll — on a roll
  6. roll — a cake
  7. firm — decided
  8. last — finally
  9. tube — the underground
  10. bear — the animal
  11. pop — to visit
  12. sharp — with an edge
  13. roll — a list
  14. firm — steady
  15. kid — to tease
  16. bear — the animal
  17. firm — a company
  18. sharp — clever
  19. pop — soda
  20. sharp — exactly
  21. last — final
  22. last — to go on
  23. tube — a container
  24. kid — child

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