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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. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  2. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  3. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  4. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  5. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  6. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  7. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  8. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  9. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  10. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  11. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  12. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  13. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  14. He is an ace ________________.
  15. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  16. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  17. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  18. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  19. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  20. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  21. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  22. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  23. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  24. That must've been a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — to move gently
  2. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  3. pitcher — a jug
  4. kid — to tease
  5. firm — a company
  6. rush — to hurry
  7. rush — hurry
  8. kick — a thrill
  9. rock — music
  10. firm — steady
  11. kick — with a leg
  12. mine — an explosive
  13. track — a path
  14. pitcher — in baseball
  15. kick — in football
  16. mine — for digging
  17. firm — decided
  18. mine — belonging to me
  19. track — a song
  20. pitcher — a jug
  21. track — to keep track
  22. rock — a stone
  23. kid — child
  24. rush — a thrill

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