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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. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  3. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  4. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  5. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  6. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  7. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  8. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  9. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  10. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  11. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  12. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  13. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  14. The ________________ went through the wall.
  15. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  16. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  17. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  18. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  19. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  20. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  21. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  22. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  23. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  24. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  2. wind — moving air
  3. stem — a stem cell
  4. stem — of a plant
  5. nail — on a finger
  6. ruler — for measuring
  7. nail — for a hammer
  8. band — a music group
  9. stem — to come from
  10. row — to paddle
  11. ruler — a monarch
  12. kid — child
  13. lean — to bend
  14. nail — for a hammer
  15. wind — to turn a key
  16. wind — moving air
  17. lean — thin
  18. lean — to rest against
  19. row — a line
  20. band — a rubber band
  21. row — a quarrel
  22. ruler — for measuring
  23. kid — to tease
  24. band — a ring

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