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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. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  2. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  3. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  4. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  5. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  6. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  7. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  8. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  9. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  10. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  11. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  12. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  13. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  14. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  15. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  16. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  17. The water is too ________________.
  18. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  19. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  20. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  21. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  22. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  23. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  24. There's no middle ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  2. calf — of the leg
  3. bear — to put up with
  4. mouse — for a computer
  5. bass — the fish
  6. object — an aim
  7. ground — the earth
  8. ground — crushed
  9. object — a thing
  10. bear — the animal
  11. calf — a young animal
  12. cold — the Cold War
  13. calf — a young animal
  14. object — to protest
  15. cold — an illness
  16. bass — low music
  17. cold — not warm
  18. mouse — the animal
  19. bass — the instrument
  20. mouse — the animal
  21. bear — the animal
  22. kid — to tease
  23. kid — child
  24. ground — a position

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