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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. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  2. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  3. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  4. When will it ________________ you to start?
  5. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  6. That must've been a ________________.
  7. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  8. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  9. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  10. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  11. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  12. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  13. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  14. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  15. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  16. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  17. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  18. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  19. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  20. Don't do anything ________________.
  21. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  22. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  23. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  24. How do you ________________ your surname?

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

Answer key

  1. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  2. bark — of a tree
  3. kid — child
  4. suit — to fit
  5. rash — a series
  6. rush — a thrill
  7. rash — on the skin
  8. bark — a dog's sound
  9. suit — in cards
  10. fall — to drop
  11. fall — the season
  12. kid — to tease
  13. kick — with a leg
  14. kick — in football
  15. rush — to hurry
  16. rush — hurry
  17. kick — a thrill
  18. spell — magic
  19. fall — to drop
  20. rash — hasty
  21. suit — clothes
  22. spell — a short time
  23. bark — to shout
  24. spell — letters

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