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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've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  2. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  3. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  4. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  5. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  6. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  7. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  8. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  9. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  10. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  11. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  12. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  13. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  14. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  15. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  16. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  17. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  18. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  19. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  20. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  21. What do you think of the new ________________?
  22. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  23. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  24. I play ________________ in a jazz band.

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

Answer key

  1. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  2. ruler — for measuring
  3. cabinet — ministers
  4. perch — for a bird
  5. kid — child
  6. firm — a company
  7. dip — to dunk
  8. ruler — a monarch
  9. shower — rain
  10. firm — steady
  11. dip — to sink
  12. perch — for a bird
  13. perch — the fish
  14. cabinet — a cupboard
  15. shower — a meteor shower
  16. ruler — for measuring
  17. bass — the fish
  18. kid — to tease
  19. firm — decided
  20. shower — to wash
  21. cabinet — ministers
  22. bass — low music
  23. dip — a sauce
  24. bass — the instrument

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