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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 120 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 ________________ up on opposing sides.
  2. She's very handy with a ________________.
  3. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  4. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  5. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  6. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  7. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  8. The ball is in your ________________.
  9. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  10. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  11. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  12. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  13. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  14. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  15. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  16. He works in a ________________ mill.
  17. My mare is ________________ in color.
  18. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  19. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  20. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  21. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  22. Where did you ________________ them?
  23. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  24. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wound — past of 'wind'
  2. saw — the tool
  3. court — of law
  4. kid — child
  5. bay — to keep at bay
  6. mug — a face
  7. bay — a part of the sea
  8. court — for sport
  9. stick — to attach or keep to
  10. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  11. stick — a piece of wood
  12. wound — an injury
  13. court — of a king
  14. wound — an injury
  15. mug — a cup
  16. saw — the tool
  17. bay — a horse colour
  18. present — the time now
  19. kid — to tease
  20. present — there
  21. present — a gift
  22. mug — to rob
  23. saw — past of 'see'
  24. stick — a piece of wood

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