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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 116 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. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  2. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  3. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  4. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  5. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  6. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  7. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  8. What do you think of the new ________________?
  9. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  10. The King held a masked ________________.
  11. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  12. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  13. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  14. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  15. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  16. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  17. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  18. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  19. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  20. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  21. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  22. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  23. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  24. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a round shape
  2. cabinet — a cupboard
  3. ruler — a monarch
  4. chair — a professorship
  5. mouse — for a computer
  6. chair — to sit on
  7. chair — a leader
  8. cabinet — ministers
  9. branch — a division
  10. ball — a dance
  11. ruler — for measuring
  12. branch — of a bank
  13. ruler — for measuring
  14. dip — to dunk
  15. branch — of a tree
  16. mouse — the animal
  17. ball — a great time
  18. kid — child
  19. dip — a sauce
  20. cabinet — ministers
  21. dip — to sink
  22. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  23. kid — to tease
  24. mouse — the animal

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