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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. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  2. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  3. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  4. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  5. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  6. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  7. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  8. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  9. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  10. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  11. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  12. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  13. Did you ________________ the meat?
  14. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  15. I'll be taking the ________________.
  16. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  17. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  18. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  19. She's very handy with a ________________.
  20. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  21. He works in a ________________ mill.
  22. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  23. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  24. He is as ________________ as a wolf.

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

Answer key

  1. season — of the year
  2. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  3. wound — past of 'wind'
  4. bowl — a football final
  5. tube — in a tire
  6. bowl — a dish
  7. ruler — a monarch
  8. kid — child
  9. wound — an injury
  10. ruler — for measuring
  11. tube — a container
  12. season — in sport
  13. season — to add flavour
  14. kid — to tease
  15. tube — the underground
  16. lean — to bend
  17. ruler — for measuring
  18. bowl — to roll
  19. saw — the tool
  20. lean — to rest against
  21. saw — the tool
  22. saw — past of 'see'
  23. wound — an injury
  24. lean — thin

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