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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. When will it ________________ you to start?
  3. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  4. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  5. I'll be taking the ________________.
  6. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  7. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  8. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  9. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  10. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  11. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  12. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  13. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  14. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  15. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  16. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  17. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  18. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  19. When are we going to ________________?
  20. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  21. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  22. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  23. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  24. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.

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

Answer key

  1. kid — child
  2. suit — to fit
  3. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  4. suit — in cards
  5. tube — the underground
  6. tube — in a tire
  7. bass — low music
  8. land — ground
  9. tube — a container
  10. calf — a young animal
  11. suit — clothes
  12. bark — a dog's sound
  13. land — a country
  14. calf — of the leg
  15. bark — of a tree
  16. calf — a young animal
  17. bank — for money
  18. bank — of a river
  19. land — to come down
  20. bank — for money
  21. bark — to shout
  22. bass — the instrument
  23. bass — the fish
  24. kid — to tease

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