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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. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  2. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  3. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  4. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  5. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  6. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  7. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  8. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  9. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  10. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  11. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  12. He is an ace ________________.
  13. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  14. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  15. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  16. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  17. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  18. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  19. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  20. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  21. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  22. I can't ________________ this cold.
  23. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  24. Should I buy a wireless ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. kid — to tease
  2. bear — the animal
  3. kid — child
  4. patient — a sick person
  5. dip — to dunk
  6. dip — a sauce
  7. patient — calm and waiting
  8. mouse — the animal
  9. stand — for spectators
  10. bear — the animal
  11. stand — on your feet
  12. pitcher — in baseball
  13. mouse — the animal
  14. bear — to put up with
  15. ruler — for measuring
  16. dip — to sink
  17. ruler — a monarch
  18. pitcher — a jug
  19. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  20. pitcher — a jug
  21. ruler — for measuring
  22. stand — to bear
  23. patient — a sick person
  24. mouse — for a computer

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