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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. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  2. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  3. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  4. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  5. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  6. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  7. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  8. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  9. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  10. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  11. What do you think of the new ________________?
  12. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  13. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  14. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  15. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  16. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  17. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  18. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  19. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  20. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  21. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  22. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  23. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  24. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  2. wake — before a funeral
  3. vault — a safe
  4. wake — to stop sleeping
  5. mouse — for a computer
  6. content — videos and posts
  7. wake — a trail
  8. perch — the fish
  9. content — happy
  10. cabinet — a cupboard
  11. cabinet — ministers
  12. kid — to tease
  13. cue — a signal
  14. cue — for pool
  15. mouse — the animal
  16. content — the amount
  17. vault — in gymnastics
  18. perch — for a bird
  19. vault — an arched ceiling
  20. cue — a hint
  21. cabinet — ministers
  22. kid — child
  23. mouse — the animal
  24. perch — for a bird

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