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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. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  3. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  4. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  5. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  6. My mare is ________________ in color.
  7. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  8. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  9. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  10. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  11. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  12. How do you ________________ your surname?
  13. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  14. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  15. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  16. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  17. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  18. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  19. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  20. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  21. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  22. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  23. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  24. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.

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

Answer key

  1. kid — child
  2. can — a tin
  3. mark — to pay attention
  4. bank — of a river
  5. spell — magic
  6. bay — a horse colour
  7. rock — to move gently
  8. deal — an agreement
  9. rock — a stone
  10. mark — a trace
  11. rock — music
  12. spell — letters
  13. bay — to keep at bay
  14. mark — a grade
  15. spell — a short time
  16. bank — for money
  17. kid — to tease
  18. can — a tin
  19. deal — a big deal
  20. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  21. bank — for money
  22. bay — a part of the sea
  23. can — to be able to
  24. deal — to handle

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