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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. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  3. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  4. He was locked up in a ________________.
  5. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  6. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  7. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  8. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  9. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  10. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  11. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  12. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  13. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  14. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  15. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  16. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  17. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  18. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  19. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  20. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  21. Have you met the new head ________________?
  22. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  23. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  24. We took cover from the thunder ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  2. coach — a trainer
  3. deal — to handle
  4. cell — in a prison
  5. squash — the vegetable
  6. deal — an agreement
  7. track — a song
  8. track — to keep track
  9. shower — to wash
  10. squash — to crush
  11. toast — bread
  12. deal — a big deal
  13. cell — a phone
  14. toast — a drink to someone
  15. track — a path
  16. toast — the most admired
  17. kid — child
  18. coach — pulled by horses
  19. squash — the sport
  20. cell — in biology
  21. coach — a trainer
  22. kid — to tease
  23. shower — a meteor shower
  24. shower — rain

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