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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. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  2. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  3. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  4. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  5. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  6. Have you met the new head ________________?
  7. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  8. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  9. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  10. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  11. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  12. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  13. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  14. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  15. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  16. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  17. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  18. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  19. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  20. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  21. We're on a ________________ here.
  22. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  23. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  24. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — out of danger
  2. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  3. club — for dancing
  4. coach — pulled by horses
  5. object — to protest
  6. coach — a trainer
  7. roll — a cake
  8. row — a quarrel
  9. club — for golf
  10. patient — a sick person
  11. kid — child
  12. patient — calm and waiting
  13. row — to paddle
  14. coach — a trainer
  15. safe — out of danger
  16. row — a line
  17. object — an aim
  18. object — a thing
  19. safe — a strongbox
  20. club — a group
  21. roll — on a roll
  22. patient — a sick person
  23. kid — to tease
  24. roll — a list

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