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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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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. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  2. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  3. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  4. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  5. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  6. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  7. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  8. The light ________________ burned out.
  9. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  10. She's very handy with a ________________.
  11. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  12. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  13. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  14. Have you met the new head ________________?
  15. He works in a ________________ mill.
  16. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  17. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  18. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  19. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  20. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  21. I've got to change the light ________________.
  22. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  23. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  24. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.

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

Answer key

  1. kick — a thrill
  2. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  3. saw — past of 'see'
  4. kick — in football
  5. bass — the instrument
  6. kid — to tease
  7. kid — child
  8. bulb — for light
  9. bulb — of a plant
  10. saw — the tool
  11. ruler — for measuring
  12. fork — a garden tool
  13. coach — a trainer
  14. coach — a trainer
  15. saw — the tool
  16. bass — the fish
  17. coach — pulled by horses
  18. bass — low music
  19. ruler — a monarch
  20. ruler — for measuring
  21. bulb — for light
  22. fork — to eat with
  23. kick — with a leg
  24. fork — in a road

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