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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. We're on a ________________ here.
  2. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  3. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  4. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  5. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  6. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  7. She's very handy with a ________________.
  8. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  9. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  10. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  11. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  12. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  13. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  14. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  15. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  16. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  17. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  18. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  19. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  20. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  21. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  22. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  23. He works in a ________________ mill.
  24. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.

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

Answer key

  1. roll — on a roll
  2. kid — to tease
  3. kid — child
  4. bear — the animal
  5. roll — a list
  6. bear — to put up with
  7. saw — the tool
  8. leaves — of a tree
  9. bear — the animal
  10. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  11. leaves — to go away
  12. object — an aim
  13. object — to protest
  14. mark — a trace
  15. mark — to pay attention
  16. jam — a tight spot
  17. leaves — lets stay
  18. mark — a grade
  19. roll — a cake
  20. object — a thing
  21. jam — in traffic
  22. jam — to spread on bread
  23. saw — the tool
  24. saw — past of 'see'

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