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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 has no idea where the ________________ is.
  2. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  3. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  4. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  5. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  6. He works in a ________________ mill.
  7. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  8. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  9. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  10. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  11. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  12. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  13. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  14. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  15. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  16. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  17. Have you met the new head ________________?
  18. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  19. He is an ace ________________.
  20. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  21. She's very handy with a ________________.
  22. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  23. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  24. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — a strongbox
  2. saw — past of 'see'
  3. pitcher — a jug
  4. safe — out of danger
  5. kid — child
  6. saw — the tool
  7. leaves — lets stay
  8. lean — to rest against
  9. lean — thin
  10. leaves — to go away
  11. lean — to bend
  12. kid — to tease
  13. coach — a trainer
  14. coach — pulled by horses
  15. deal — a big deal
  16. deal — an agreement
  17. coach — a trainer
  18. deal — to handle
  19. pitcher — in baseball
  20. leaves — of a tree
  21. saw — the tool
  22. safe — out of danger
  23. pitcher — a jug
  24. kid — young goat (kid gloves)

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