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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 120 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. She's very handy with a ________________.
  2. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  3. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  4. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  5. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  6. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  7. He works in a ________________ mill.
  8. You don't need to ________________ round.
  9. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  10. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  11. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  12. When was this ________________ built?
  13. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  14. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  15. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  16. The King held a masked ________________.
  17. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  18. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  19. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  20. We're almost out of ________________.
  21. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  22. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  23. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  24. I can't ________________ this cold.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — the tool
  2. bank — of a river
  3. squash — the vegetable
  4. temple — a place of worship
  5. saw — past of 'see'
  6. ball — a round shape
  7. saw — the tool
  8. pop — to visit
  9. squash — the sport
  10. squash — to crush
  11. ball — a great time
  12. temple — a place of worship
  13. temple — side of the head
  14. bank — for money
  15. stand — for spectators
  16. ball — a dance
  17. bank — for money
  18. stand — on your feet
  19. kid — to tease
  20. pop — soda
  21. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  22. pop — music
  23. kid — child
  24. stand — to bear

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