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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. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  3. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  4. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  5. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  6. My mare is ________________ in color.
  7. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  8. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  9. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  10. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  11. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  12. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  13. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  14. I've got to change the light ________________.
  15. The light ________________ burned out.
  16. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  17. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  18. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  19. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  20. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  21. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  22. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  23. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  24. Beijing is the ________________ of China.

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

Answer key

  1. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  2. snap — to click
  3. kid — child
  4. pass — to spend time
  5. board — a flat piece
  6. bay — a horse colour
  7. kid — to tease
  8. board — to get on
  9. snap — to snap out of it
  10. bay — a part of the sea
  11. board — a committee
  12. capital — money
  13. capital — a big letter
  14. bulb — for light
  15. bulb — for light
  16. stem — to come from
  17. stem — of a plant
  18. stem — a stem cell
  19. snap — to speak sharply
  20. bay — to keep at bay
  21. pass — a permit
  22. bulb — of a plant
  23. pass — to succeed
  24. capital — a city

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