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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. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  2. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  3. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  4. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  5. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  6. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  7. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  8. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  9. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  10. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  11. I'll be taking the ________________.
  12. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  13. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  14. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  15. Have you found your soul ________________?
  16. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  17. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  18. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  19. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  20. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  21. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  22. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  23. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  24. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.

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

Answer key

  1. kid — child
  2. jam — a tight spot
  3. row — a line
  4. hand — part of the body
  5. row — to paddle
  6. stick — a piece of wood
  7. stick — to attach or keep to
  8. tube — in a tire
  9. mark — to pay attention
  10. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  11. tube — the underground
  12. mark — a grade
  13. mate — to breed
  14. hand — help
  15. mate — a partner
  16. kid — to tease
  17. jam — in traffic
  18. mark — a trace
  19. jam — to spread on bread
  20. hand — in cards
  21. stick — a piece of wood
  22. mate — a friend
  23. row — a quarrel
  24. tube — a container

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