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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 120 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. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  4. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  5. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  6. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  7. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  8. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  9. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  10. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  11. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  12. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  13. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  14. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  15. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  16. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  17. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  18. I've got to change the light ________________.
  19. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  20. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  21. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  22. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  23. The light ________________ burned out.
  24. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.

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. patient — a sick person
  4. hide — to keep secret
  5. bulb — of a plant
  6. hide — to keep secret
  7. rest — what's left
  8. branch — of a bank
  9. branch — a division
  10. bear — the animal
  11. bear — to put up with
  12. kid — to tease
  13. patient — calm and waiting
  14. rest — what's left
  15. wake — before a funeral
  16. rest — a break
  17. wake — to stop sleeping
  18. bulb — for light
  19. wake — a trail
  20. bear — the animal
  21. hide — animal skin
  22. branch — of a tree
  23. bulb — for light
  24. patient — a sick person

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