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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 always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  3. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  4. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  5. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  6. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  7. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  8. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  9. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  10. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  11. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  12. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  13. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  14. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  15. She's very handy with a ________________.
  16. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  17. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  18. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  19. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  20. He works in a ________________ mill.
  21. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  22. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  23. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  24. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.

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

Answer key

  1. kid — child
  2. leaves — lets stay
  3. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  4. track — to keep track
  5. degree — temperature
  6. branch — of a tree
  7. stick — to attach or keep to
  8. degree — from a university
  9. leaves — to go away
  10. can — a tin
  11. track — a path
  12. branch — of a bank
  13. track — a song
  14. can — a tin
  15. saw — the tool
  16. stick — a piece of wood
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. degree — an amount
  19. can — to be able to
  20. saw — the tool
  21. saw — past of 'see'
  22. branch — a division
  23. leaves — of a tree
  24. kid — to tease

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