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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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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. What do you think of the new ________________?
  2. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  3. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  4. He works in a ________________ mill.
  5. When was this ________________ built?
  6. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  7. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  8. She's very handy with a ________________.
  9. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  10. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  11. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  12. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  13. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  14. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  15. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  16. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  17. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  18. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  19. When will it ________________ you to start?
  20. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  21. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  22. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  23. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  24. A black ________________ roamed the forest.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — ministers
  2. object — to protest
  3. bear — the animal
  4. saw — the tool
  5. temple — a place of worship
  6. cabinet — ministers
  7. hand — help
  8. saw — the tool
  9. cabinet — a cupboard
  10. temple — side of the head
  11. saw — past of 'see'
  12. kid — child
  13. object — a thing
  14. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  15. object — an aim
  16. suit — in cards
  17. hand — part of the body
  18. suit — clothes
  19. suit — to fit
  20. bear — to put up with
  21. kid — to tease
  22. hand — in cards
  23. temple — a place of worship
  24. bear — the animal

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