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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. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  2. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  3. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  4. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  5. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  6. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  7. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  8. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  9. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  10. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  11. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  12. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  13. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  14. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  15. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  16. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  17. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  18. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  19. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  20. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  21. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  22. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  23. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  24. Tom got himself in a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. present — there
  2. bear — the animal
  3. mouse — the animal
  4. object — to protest
  5. bear — the animal
  6. kid — child
  7. object — a thing
  8. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  9. drill — the tool
  10. mouse — the animal
  11. present — a gift
  12. present — the time now
  13. object — an aim
  14. jam — in traffic
  15. trunk — of a car
  16. kid — to tease
  17. drill — army training
  18. drill — a practice
  19. trunk — of a tree
  20. trunk — of an elephant
  21. mouse — for a computer
  22. jam — to spread on bread
  23. bear — to put up with
  24. jam — a tight spot

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