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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. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  3. When are we going to ________________?
  4. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  5. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  6. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  7. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  8. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  9. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  10. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  11. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  12. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  13. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  14. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  15. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  16. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  17. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  18. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  19. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  20. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  21. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  22. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  23. That must've been a ________________.
  24. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  2. field — for sport
  3. land — to come down
  4. vault — an arched ceiling
  5. rush — to hurry
  6. bear — the animal
  7. land — ground
  8. field — a subject
  9. vault — in gymnastics
  10. vault — a safe
  11. wave — with your hand
  12. bear — the animal
  13. wax — for sculpting
  14. wave — of the sea
  15. land — a country
  16. field — farmland
  17. wax — to grow
  18. rush — hurry
  19. kid — to tease
  20. wave — a sudden rise
  21. wax — in the ear
  22. bear — to put up with
  23. rush — a thrill
  24. kid — child

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