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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. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  2. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  3. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  4. Have you met the new head ________________?
  5. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  6. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  7. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  8. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  9. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  10. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  11. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  12. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  13. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  14. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  15. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  16. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  17. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  18. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  19. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  20. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  21. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  22. When will it ________________ you to start?
  23. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  24. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — an agreement
  2. shower — to wash
  3. mouse — the animal
  4. coach — a trainer
  5. object — to protest
  6. kid — to tease
  7. coach — pulled by horses
  8. mouse — the animal
  9. deal — to handle
  10. track — to keep track
  11. coach — a trainer
  12. deal — a big deal
  13. track — a song
  14. mouse — for a computer
  15. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  16. kid — child
  17. shower — rain
  18. suit — in cards
  19. suit — clothes
  20. object — an aim
  21. track — a path
  22. suit — to fit
  23. shower — a meteor shower
  24. object — a thing

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