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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. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  2. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  3. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  4. My mare is ________________ in color.
  5. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  6. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  7. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  8. I'll be taking the ________________.
  9. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  10. Don't do anything ________________.
  11. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  12. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  13. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  14. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  15. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  16. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  17. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  18. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  19. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  20. How do you ________________ your surname?
  21. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  22. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  23. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  24. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — a series
  2. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  3. tube — in a tire
  4. bay — a horse colour
  5. cap — a lid
  6. rock — to move gently
  7. spell — a short time
  8. tube — the underground
  9. staff — employees
  10. rash — hasty
  11. cap — of ice
  12. bay — a part of the sea
  13. rock — a stone
  14. staff — employees
  15. spell — magic
  16. rock — music
  17. tube — a container
  18. bay — to keep at bay
  19. rash — on the skin
  20. spell — letters
  21. kid — child
  22. staff — a stick
  23. cap — a hat
  24. kid — to tease

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