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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. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  2. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  3. She's very handy with a ________________.
  4. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  5. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  6. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  7. My mare is ________________ in color.
  8. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  9. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  10. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  11. Don't do anything ________________.
  12. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  13. The King held a masked ________________.
  14. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  15. He works in a ________________ mill.
  16. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  17. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  18. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  19. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  20. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  21. There's no middle ________________.
  22. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  23. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  24. I'll take my ________________ from you.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — past of 'see'
  2. bay — a part of the sea
  3. saw — the tool
  4. kid — child
  5. branch — of a bank
  6. cue — for pool
  7. bay — a horse colour
  8. branch — a division
  9. cue — a signal
  10. rash — on the skin
  11. rash — hasty
  12. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  13. ball — a dance
  14. ground — crushed
  15. saw — the tool
  16. kid — to tease
  17. rash — a series
  18. ball — a great time
  19. branch — of a tree
  20. bay — to keep at bay
  21. ground — a position
  22. ball — a round shape
  23. ground — the earth
  24. cue — a hint

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