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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. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  3. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  4. My mare is ________________ in color.
  5. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  6. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  7. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  8. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  9. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  10. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  11. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  12. Have you settled on a ________________?
  13. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  14. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  15. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  16. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  17. What do you think of the new ________________?
  18. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  19. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  20. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  21. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  22. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  23. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  24. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  2. bay — a part of the sea
  3. date — the fruit
  4. bay — a horse colour
  5. bear — the animal
  6. bear — to put up with
  7. degree — temperature
  8. degree — from a university
  9. face — to point toward
  10. degree — an amount
  11. face — part of the head
  12. date — on the calendar
  13. bass — the fish
  14. cabinet — a cupboard
  15. kid — child
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. cabinet — ministers
  18. face — to confront
  19. bass — the instrument
  20. bay — to keep at bay
  21. date — on the calendar
  22. kid — to tease
  23. bass — low music
  24. bear — the animal

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