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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. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  3. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  4. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  5. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  6. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  7. I've got to change the light ________________.
  8. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  9. That was a fun ________________.
  10. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  11. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  12. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  13. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  14. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  15. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  16. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  17. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  18. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  19. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  20. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  21. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  22. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  23. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  24. The light ________________ burned out.

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

Answer key

  1. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  2. kid — child
  3. wake — a trail
  4. race — the arms race
  5. wake — before a funeral
  6. kick — in football
  7. bulb — for light
  8. can — to be able to
  9. game — a match
  10. can — a tin
  11. fork — a garden tool
  12. kick — a thrill
  13. race — humankind
  14. game — wild animals
  15. race — a contest
  16. kick — with a leg
  17. bulb — of a plant
  18. game — a kind of play
  19. kid — to tease
  20. fork — in a road
  21. can — a tin
  22. fork — to eat with
  23. wake — to stop sleeping
  24. bulb — for light

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