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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. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  2. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  3. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  4. Don't do anything ________________.
  5. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  6. My mare is ________________ in color.
  7. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  8. That must've been a ________________.
  9. When will it ________________ you to start?
  10. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  11. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  12. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  13. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  14. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  15. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  16. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  17. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  18. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  19. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  20. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  21. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  22. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  23. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  24. Hold the papers together with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. kid — to tease
  2. rash — a series
  3. rash — on the skin
  4. rash — hasty
  5. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  6. bay — a horse colour
  7. cap — of ice
  8. rush — a thrill
  9. suit — to fit
  10. kid — child
  11. bank — of a river
  12. rush — to hurry
  13. cap — a lid
  14. bank — for money
  15. bank — for money
  16. clip — a video
  17. suit — clothes
  18. bay — to keep at bay
  19. suit — in cards
  20. bay — a part of the sea
  21. rush — hurry
  22. clip — to cut
  23. cap — a hat
  24. clip — for paper

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