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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. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  3. How do you ________________ your surname?
  4. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  5. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  6. He is an ace ________________.
  7. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  8. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  9. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  10. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  11. He works in a ________________ mill.
  12. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  13. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  14. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  15. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  16. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  17. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  18. She's very handy with a ________________.
  19. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  20. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  21. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  22. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  23. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  24. False peace will not ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  2. saw — past of 'see'
  3. spell — letters
  4. prune — the fruit
  5. ruler — for measuring
  6. pitcher — in baseball
  7. ruler — a monarch
  8. bear — the animal
  9. pitcher — a jug
  10. prune — to trim
  11. saw — the tool
  12. kid — child
  13. spell — a short time
  14. ruler — for measuring
  15. prune — to trim
  16. bear — the animal
  17. bear — to put up with
  18. saw — the tool
  19. kid — to tease
  20. last — finally
  21. last — final
  22. pitcher — a jug
  23. spell — magic
  24. last — to go on

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