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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. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  3. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  4. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  5. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  6. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  7. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  8. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  9. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  10. The King held a masked ________________.
  11. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  12. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  13. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  14. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  15. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  16. When are we going to ________________?
  17. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  18. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  19. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  20. Have you met the new head ________________?
  21. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  22. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  23. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  24. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.

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

Answer key

  1. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  2. kid — child
  3. shower — rain
  4. leaves — of a tree
  5. mark — a grade
  6. leaves — lets stay
  7. shower — a meteor shower
  8. bear — to put up with
  9. kid — to tease
  10. ball — a dance
  11. coach — a trainer
  12. land — a country
  13. coach — pulled by horses
  14. ball — a round shape
  15. leaves — to go away
  16. land — to come down
  17. bear — the animal
  18. shower — to wash
  19. mark — to pay attention
  20. coach — a trainer
  21. land — ground
  22. ball — a great time
  23. bear — the animal
  24. mark — a trace

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