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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. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  3. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  4. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  5. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  6. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  7. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  8. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  9. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  10. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  11. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  12. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  13. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  14. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  15. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  16. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  17. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  18. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  19. My mare is ________________ in color.
  20. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  21. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  22. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  23. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  24. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.

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

Answer key

  1. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  2. dip — to dunk
  3. bank — of a river
  4. kid — to tease
  5. scale — in music
  6. perch — for a bird
  7. scale — for weighing
  8. bay — a part of the sea
  9. bank — for money
  10. dip — to sink
  11. bat — for baseball
  12. dip — a sauce
  13. bank — for money
  14. perch — the fish
  15. bat — the animal
  16. vault — in gymnastics
  17. vault — a safe
  18. bay — to keep at bay
  19. bay — a horse colour
  20. vault — an arched ceiling
  21. scale — size or range
  22. perch — for a bird
  23. kid — child
  24. bat — in an idiom

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