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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 120 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. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  3. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  4. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  5. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  6. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  7. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  8. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  9. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  10. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  11. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  12. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  13. David sat on the ________________.
  14. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  15. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  16. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  17. You don't need to ________________ round.
  18. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  19. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  20. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  21. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  22. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  23. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  24. We're almost out of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  2. bank — of a river
  3. rest — what's left
  4. can — to be able to
  5. object — an aim
  6. swing — music
  7. rest — what's left
  8. wave — a sudden rise
  9. object — a thing
  10. bank — for money
  11. object — to protest
  12. wave — with your hand
  13. swing — to play on
  14. kid — to tease
  15. swing — in golf
  16. bank — for money
  17. pop — to visit
  18. can — a tin
  19. rest — a break
  20. wave — of the sea
  21. kid — child
  22. pop — music
  23. can — a tin
  24. pop — soda

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