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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 120 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. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  3. My mare is ________________ in color.
  4. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  5. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  6. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  7. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  8. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  9. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  10. Don't do anything ________________.
  11. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  12. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  13. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  14. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  15. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  16. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  17. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  18. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  19. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  20. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  21. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  22. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  23. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  24. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.

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

Answer key

  1. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  2. object — to protest
  3. bay — a horse colour
  4. kid — to tease
  5. object — a thing
  6. leaves — lets stay
  7. branch — of a bank
  8. branch — a division
  9. kid — child
  10. rash — hasty
  11. rash — a series
  12. drill — a practice
  13. rock — a stone
  14. leaves — to go away
  15. leaves — of a tree
  16. rock — to move gently
  17. rock — music
  18. rash — on the skin
  19. bay — to keep at bay
  20. object — an aim
  21. bay — a part of the sea
  22. branch — of a tree
  23. drill — the tool
  24. drill — army training

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