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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. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  3. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  4. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  5. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  6. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  7. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  8. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  9. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  10. She's very handy with a ________________.
  11. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  12. He works in a ________________ mill.
  13. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  14. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  15. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  16. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  17. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  18. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  19. Did you ________________ the meat?
  20. My mare is ________________ in color.
  21. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  22. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  23. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  24. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  2. saw — past of 'see'
  3. toast — bread
  4. mine — an explosive
  5. bowl — a football final
  6. season — in sport
  7. kid — to tease
  8. toast — a drink to someone
  9. mine — for digging
  10. saw — the tool
  11. snap — to snap out of it
  12. saw — the tool
  13. mine — belonging to me
  14. bowl — a dish
  15. bay — a part of the sea
  16. toast — the most admired
  17. snap — to click
  18. season — of the year
  19. season — to add flavour
  20. bay — a horse colour
  21. snap — to speak sharply
  22. bowl — to roll
  23. kid — child
  24. bay — to keep at bay

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