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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. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  2. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  3. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  4. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  5. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  6. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  7. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  8. What do you think of the new ________________?
  9. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  10. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  11. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  12. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  13. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  14. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  15. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  16. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  17. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  18. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  19. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  20. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  21. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  22. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  23. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  24. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  2. can — to be able to
  3. bear — the animal
  4. cabinet — ministers
  5. craft — boats
  6. rock — to move gently
  7. kid — child
  8. cabinet — ministers
  9. trunk — of a car
  10. trunk — of an elephant
  11. trunk — of a tree
  12. craft — a handicraft
  13. can — a tin
  14. rock — a stone
  15. craft — a skill
  16. chip — for betting
  17. bear — the animal
  18. chip — in a computer
  19. chip — to eat
  20. rock — music
  21. kid — to tease
  22. bear — to put up with
  23. can — a tin
  24. cabinet — a cupboard

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