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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. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  2. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  3. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  4. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  5. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  6. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  7. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  8. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  9. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  10. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  11. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  12. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  13. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  14. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  15. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  16. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  17. My mare is ________________ in color.
  18. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  19. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  20. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  21. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  22. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  23. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  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. drill — army training
  2. kid — child
  3. deal — to handle
  4. drill — the tool
  5. deal — a big deal
  6. bay — a part of the sea
  7. face — to confront
  8. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  9. chair — to sit on
  10. deal — an agreement
  11. spring — of water
  12. bear — the animal
  13. drill — a practice
  14. face — part of the head
  15. kid — to tease
  16. spring — a coil
  17. bay — a horse colour
  18. bear — to put up with
  19. bear — the animal
  20. face — to point toward
  21. spring — the season
  22. chair — a leader
  23. chair — a professorship
  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