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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 124 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. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  3. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  4. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  5. Have you met the new head ________________?
  6. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  7. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  8. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  9. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  10. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  11. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  12. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  13. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  14. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  15. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  16. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  17. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  18. I'll be taking the ________________.
  19. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  20. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  21. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  22. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  23. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  24. We have nothing to ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. kid — child
  2. kid — to tease
  3. stick — to attach or keep to
  4. tube — in a tire
  5. coach — a trainer
  6. object — an aim
  7. object — a thing
  8. mark — a trace
  9. mark — a grade
  10. hide — animal skin
  11. net — in sport
  12. net — for catching
  13. tube — a container
  14. net — after costs
  15. stick — a piece of wood
  16. coach — a trainer
  17. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  18. tube — the underground
  19. hide — to keep secret
  20. coach — pulled by horses
  21. object — to protest
  22. stick — a piece of wood
  23. mark — to pay attention
  24. hide — to keep secret

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