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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. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  3. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  4. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  5. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  6. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  7. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  8. David sat on the ________________.
  9. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  10. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  11. She's very handy with a ________________.
  12. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  13. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  14. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  15. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  16. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  17. I'll be taking the ________________.
  18. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  19. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  20. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  21. He works in a ________________ mill.
  22. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  23. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  24. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.

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

Answer key

  1. kid — child
  2. present — the time now
  3. swing — music
  4. present — a gift
  5. rule — a law
  6. rule — to rule out
  7. tube — in a tire
  8. swing — to play on
  9. wave — a sudden rise
  10. swing — in golf
  11. saw — the tool
  12. present — there
  13. kid — to tease
  14. wave — with your hand
  15. tube — a container
  16. track — a song
  17. tube — the underground
  18. track — to keep track
  19. saw — past of 'see'
  20. wave — of the sea
  21. saw — the tool
  22. rule — government
  23. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  24. track — a path

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