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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. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  3. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  4. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  5. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  6. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  7. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  8. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  9. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  10. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  11. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  12. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  13. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  14. Don't do anything ________________.
  15. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  16. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  17. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  18. That was ________________ to happen.
  19. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  20. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  21. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  22. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  23. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  24. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.

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

Answer key

  1. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  2. bark — to shout
  3. row — to paddle
  4. rash — on the skin
  5. rock — music
  6. firm — decided
  7. firm — steady
  8. rock — a stone
  9. rock — to move gently
  10. bark — a dog's sound
  11. kid — to tease
  12. bark — of a tree
  13. fine — all right
  14. rash — hasty
  15. firm — a company
  16. row — a line
  17. rash — a series
  18. bound — certain
  19. bound — tied together
  20. bound — obliged
  21. fine — a penalty
  22. row — a quarrel
  23. kid — child
  24. fine — high quality

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