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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. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  2. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  3. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  4. I'll be taking the ________________.
  5. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  6. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  7. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  8. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  9. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  10. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  11. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  12. The ________________ went through the wall.
  13. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  14. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  15. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  16. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  17. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  18. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  19. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  20. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  21. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  22. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  23. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  24. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — help
  2. bank — of a river
  3. kid — child
  4. tube — the underground
  5. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  6. nail — for a hammer
  7. hand — part of the body
  8. firm — decided
  9. club — a group
  10. club — for golf
  11. bank — for money
  12. nail — for a hammer
  13. tube — in a tire
  14. club — for dancing
  15. hand — in cards
  16. bank — for money
  17. kid — to tease
  18. lash — a whip stroke
  19. lash — to lash out
  20. lash — an eyelash
  21. firm — steady
  22. tube — a container
  23. firm — a company
  24. nail — on a finger

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