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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. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  3. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  4. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  5. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  6. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  7. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  8. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  9. How do you ________________ your surname?
  10. You don't need to ________________ round.
  11. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  12. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  13. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  14. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  15. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  16. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  17. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  18. We're almost out of ________________.
  19. She's very handy with a ________________.
  20. He works in a ________________ mill.
  21. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  22. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  23. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  24. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.

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

Answer key

  1. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  2. saw — past of 'see'
  3. lash — a whip stroke
  4. drill — the tool
  5. spell — magic
  6. track — a song
  7. kid — child
  8. drill — a practice
  9. spell — letters
  10. pop — to visit
  11. spell — a short time
  12. mouse — the animal
  13. pop — music
  14. kid — to tease
  15. lash — an eyelash
  16. drill — army training
  17. track — a path
  18. pop — soda
  19. saw — the tool
  20. saw — the tool
  21. track — to keep track
  22. mouse — the animal
  23. mouse — for a computer
  24. lash — to lash out

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