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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. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  2. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  3. Have you found your soul ________________?
  4. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  5. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  6. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  7. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  8. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  9. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  10. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  11. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  12. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  13. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  14. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  15. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  16. The ________________ went through the wall.
  17. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  18. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  19. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  20. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  21. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  22. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  23. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  24. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.

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

Answer key

  1. kid — child
  2. nail — for a hammer
  3. mate — a partner
  4. bank — for money
  5. cap — of ice
  6. squash — the sport
  7. cap — a hat
  8. bear — to put up with
  9. fine — high quality
  10. squash — to crush
  11. nail — on a finger
  12. bank — for money
  13. bear — the animal
  14. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  15. kid — to tease
  16. nail — for a hammer
  17. cap — a lid
  18. fine — all right
  19. bear — the animal
  20. mate — a friend
  21. squash — the vegetable
  22. mate — to breed
  23. bank — of a river
  24. fine — a penalty

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