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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. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  2. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  3. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  4. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  5. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  6. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  7. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  8. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  9. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  10. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  11. The light ________________ burned out.
  12. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  13. I've got to change the light ________________.
  14. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  15. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  16. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  17. My mare is ________________ in color.
  18. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  19. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  20. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  21. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  22. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  23. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  24. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.

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

Answer key

  1. kid — child
  2. bay — a part of the sea
  3. mine — belonging to me
  4. rule — a law
  5. lean — to rest against
  6. rule — to rule out
  7. racket — for tennis
  8. racket — for tennis
  9. mine — for digging
  10. fine — all right
  11. bulb — for light
  12. kid — to tease
  13. bulb — for light
  14. lean — to bend
  15. bay — to keep at bay
  16. racket — a loud noise
  17. bay — a horse colour
  18. mine — an explosive
  19. bulb — of a plant
  20. fine — a penalty
  21. rule — government
  22. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  23. lean — thin
  24. fine — high quality

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