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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. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  2. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  3. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  4. My mare is ________________ in color.
  5. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  6. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  7. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  8. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  9. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  10. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  11. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  12. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  13. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  14. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  15. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  16. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  17. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  18. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  19. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  20. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  21. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  22. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  23. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  24. I'd like to play a game of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  2. present — the time now
  3. trunk — of a tree
  4. bay — a horse colour
  5. bear — the animal
  6. present — there
  7. bear — to put up with
  8. kid — to tease
  9. trunk — of a car
  10. bear — the animal
  11. vault — a safe
  12. present — a gift
  13. trunk — of an elephant
  14. file — a line of people
  15. kid — child
  16. file — a tool
  17. vault — an arched ceiling
  18. squash — the vegetable
  19. bay — to keep at bay
  20. vault — in gymnastics
  21. bay — a part of the sea
  22. file — a document
  23. squash — to crush
  24. squash — the sport

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