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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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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. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  2. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  3. I'll be taking the ________________.
  4. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  5. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  6. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  7. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  8. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  9. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  10. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  11. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  12. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  13. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  14. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  15. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  16. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  17. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  18. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  19. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  20. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  21. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  22. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  23. The tickets are free of ________________.
  24. A ________________ is just a dried plum.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — to keep secret
  2. kid — child
  3. tube — the underground
  4. charge — in control
  5. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  6. bear — the animal
  7. fork — in a road
  8. bear — to put up with
  9. bear — the animal
  10. fork — to eat with
  11. pit — a fruit stone
  12. kid — to tease
  13. charge — electricity
  14. prune — to trim
  15. tube — a container
  16. tube — in a tire
  17. hide — to keep secret
  18. hide — animal skin
  19. pit — a hole
  20. pit — in a race
  21. fork — a garden tool
  22. prune — to trim
  23. charge — a price
  24. prune — the fruit

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