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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. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  3. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  4. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  5. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  6. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  7. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  8. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  9. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  10. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  11. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  12. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  13. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  14. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  15. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  16. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  17. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  18. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  19. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  20. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  21. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  22. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  23. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  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. kid — to tease
  3. bear — the animal
  4. bass — the fish
  5. object — a thing
  6. bear — to put up with
  7. vault — a safe
  8. fall — to drop
  9. pound — to hit hard
  10. object — to protest
  11. pound — for dogs
  12. vault — an arched ceiling
  13. fall — the season
  14. bear — the animal
  15. fall — to drop
  16. kid — child
  17. bass — low music
  18. object — an aim
  19. fork — in a road
  20. fork — a garden tool
  21. fork — to eat with
  22. pound — a weight
  23. vault — in gymnastics
  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