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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 King held a masked ________________.
  2. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  3. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  4. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  5. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  6. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  7. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  8. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  9. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  10. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  11. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  12. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  13. How do you ________________ your surname?
  14. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  15. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  16. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  17. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  18. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  19. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  20. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  21. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  22. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  23. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  24. The kitten curled into a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a dance
  2. present — there
  3. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  4. fall — to drop
  5. kid — child
  6. spell — magic
  7. can — to be able to
  8. current — happening now
  9. fall — to drop
  10. current — electric
  11. bear — to put up with
  12. fall — the season
  13. spell — letters
  14. ball — a great time
  15. can — a tin
  16. bear — the animal
  17. present — the time now
  18. can — a tin
  19. present — a gift
  20. current — of water
  21. kid — to tease
  22. bear — the animal
  23. spell — a short time
  24. ball — a round shape

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