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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. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  3. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  4. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  5. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  6. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  7. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  8. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  9. She's very handy with a ________________.
  10. He works in a ________________ mill.
  11. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  12. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  13. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  14. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  15. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  16. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  17. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  18. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  19. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  20. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  21. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  22. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  23. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  24. Boris sat near the fire ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  2. craft — a handicraft
  3. mouse — the animal
  4. kid — to tease
  5. drill — the tool
  6. pit — a fruit stone
  7. kid — child
  8. craft — boats
  9. saw — the tool
  10. saw — the tool
  11. ruler — for measuring
  12. saw — past of 'see'
  13. bass — low music
  14. pit — in a race
  15. mouse — for a computer
  16. craft — a skill
  17. bass — the instrument
  18. drill — army training
  19. ruler — for measuring
  20. ruler — a monarch
  21. mouse — the animal
  22. drill — a practice
  23. bass — the fish
  24. pit — a hole

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