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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.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
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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. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  4. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  5. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  6. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  7. My mare is ________________ in color.
  8. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  9. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  10. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  11. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  12. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  13. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  14. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  15. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  16. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  17. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  18. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  19. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  20. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  21. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  22. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  23. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  24. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.

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. capital — money
  4. wound — an injury
  5. wound — an injury
  6. drill — the tool
  7. bay — a horse colour
  8. kick — a thrill
  9. drill — army training
  10. mark — a grade
  11. wound — past of 'wind'
  12. bay — a part of the sea
  13. capital — a city
  14. bay — to keep at bay
  15. kick — in football
  16. capital — a big letter
  17. drill — a practice
  18. leaves — lets stay
  19. kick — with a leg
  20. mark — to pay attention
  21. leaves — of a tree
  22. leaves — to go away
  23. mark — a trace
  24. kid — young goat (kid gloves)

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