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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. He works in a ________________ mill.
  2. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  3. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  4. She's very handy with a ________________.
  5. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  6. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  7. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  8. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  9. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  10. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  11. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  12. False peace will not ________________.
  13. The ball is in your ________________.
  14. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  15. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  16. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  17. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  18. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  19. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  20. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  21. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  22. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  23. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  24. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — the tool
  2. last — final
  3. bowl — a dish
  4. saw — the tool
  5. mouse — for a computer
  6. calf — a young animal
  7. last — finally
  8. safe — a strongbox
  9. kid — child
  10. saw — past of 'see'
  11. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  12. last — to go on
  13. court — for sport
  14. calf — of the leg
  15. safe — out of danger
  16. bowl — to roll
  17. bowl — a football final
  18. mouse — the animal
  19. calf — a young animal
  20. mouse — the animal
  21. kid — to tease
  22. court — of a king
  23. safe — out of danger
  24. court — of law

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