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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. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  3. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  4. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  5. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  6. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  7. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  8. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  9. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  10. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  11. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  12. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  13. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  14. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  15. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  16. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  17. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  18. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  19. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  20. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  21. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  22. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  23. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  24. Tom got himself in a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  2. object — an aim
  3. kid — child
  4. object — a thing
  5. bowl — to roll
  6. branch — of a bank
  7. jam — in traffic
  8. clip — to cut
  9. branch — of a tree
  10. clip — a video
  11. kid — to tease
  12. snap — to click
  13. snap — to snap out of it
  14. bear — to put up with
  15. object — to protest
  16. jam — to spread on bread
  17. bear — the animal
  18. branch — a division
  19. bowl — a football final
  20. snap — to speak sharply
  21. clip — for paper
  22. bear — the animal
  23. bowl — a dish
  24. jam — a tight spot

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