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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. Don't do anything ________________.
  2. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  3. He works in a ________________ mill.
  4. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  5. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  6. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  7. He is an ace ________________.
  8. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  9. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  10. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  11. My mare is ________________ in color.
  12. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  13. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  14. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  15. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  16. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  17. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  18. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  19. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  20. My father caught me by the ________________.
  21. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  22. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  23. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  24. She's very handy with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — hasty
  2. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  3. saw — the tool
  4. bay — to keep at bay
  5. kid — to tease
  6. pound — to hit hard
  7. pitcher — in baseball
  8. pitcher — a jug
  9. pitcher — a jug
  10. kid — child
  11. bay — a horse colour
  12. can — to be able to
  13. can — a tin
  14. saw — past of 'see'
  15. can — a tin
  16. rash — on the skin
  17. bay — a part of the sea
  18. pound — for dogs
  19. pound — a weight
  20. arm — part of the body
  21. rash — a series
  22. arm — a part of something
  23. arm — part of the body
  24. saw — the tool

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