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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. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  2. I'll be taking the ________________.
  3. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  4. My father caught me by the ________________.
  5. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  6. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  7. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  8. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  9. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  10. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  11. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  12. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  13. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  14. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  15. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  16. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  17. My mare is ________________ in color.
  18. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  19. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  20. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  21. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  22. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  23. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  24. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.

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

Answer key

  1. bay — a part of the sea
  2. tube — the underground
  3. current — of water
  4. arm — part of the body
  5. current — happening now
  6. arm — a part of something
  7. current — electric
  8. bear — to put up with
  9. drill — army training
  10. pound — a weight
  11. drill — the tool
  12. kid — child
  13. tube — a container
  14. tube — in a tire
  15. arm — part of the body
  16. bear — the animal
  17. bay — a horse colour
  18. pound — to hit hard
  19. drill — a practice
  20. bay — to keep at bay
  21. kid — to tease
  22. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  23. bear — the animal
  24. pound — for dogs

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