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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. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  3. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  4. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  5. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  6. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  7. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  8. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  9. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  10. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  11. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  12. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  13. When will it ________________ you to start?
  14. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  15. He works in a ________________ mill.
  16. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  17. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  18. She's very handy with a ________________.
  19. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  20. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  21. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  22. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  23. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  24. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.

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

Answer key

  1. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  2. fan — a supporter
  3. kid — child
  4. fall — to drop
  5. calf — a young animal
  6. trunk — of a car
  7. fall — the season
  8. calf — of the leg
  9. kid — to tease
  10. suit — in cards
  11. rock — to move gently
  12. rock — a stone
  13. suit — to fit
  14. fall — to drop
  15. saw — the tool
  16. trunk — of an elephant
  17. calf — a young animal
  18. saw — the tool
  19. fan — to cool the air
  20. rock — music
  21. fan — a supporter
  22. saw — past of 'see'
  23. trunk — of a tree
  24. suit — clothes

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