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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.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
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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. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  2. What do you think of the new ________________?
  3. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  4. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  5. You don't need to ________________ round.
  6. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  7. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  8. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  9. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  10. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  11. My mare is ________________ in color.
  12. We're almost out of ________________.
  13. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  14. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  15. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  16. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  17. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  18. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  19. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  20. I'll be taking the ________________.
  21. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  22. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  23. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  24. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.

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

Answer key

  1. kid — to tease
  2. cabinet — ministers
  3. tube — a container
  4. bay — a part of the sea
  5. pop — to visit
  6. pop — music
  7. bay — to keep at bay
  8. straw — a straw man
  9. straw — dry grass
  10. cabinet — a cupboard
  11. bay — a horse colour
  12. pop — soda
  13. pound — a weight
  14. rule — government
  15. kid — child
  16. pound — to hit hard
  17. straw — to clutch at straws
  18. cabinet — ministers
  19. tube — in a tire
  20. tube — the underground
  21. rule — to rule out
  22. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  23. pound — for dogs
  24. rule — a law

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