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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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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: mine · hand · row · object · kid · bay · fork · land

  1. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  2. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  3. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  4. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  5. When are we going to ________________?
  6. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  7. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  8. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  9. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  10. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  11. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  12. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  13. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  14. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  15. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  16. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  17. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  18. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  19. My mare is ________________ in color.
  20. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  21. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  22. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  23. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  24. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  2. object — a thing
  3. fork — to eat with
  4. mine — belonging to me
  5. land — to come down
  6. object — to protest
  7. bay — to keep at bay
  8. land — a country
  9. row — a quarrel
  10. hand — in cards
  11. row — a line
  12. mine — an explosive
  13. mine — for digging
  14. row — to paddle
  15. hand — help
  16. fork — in a road
  17. object — an aim
  18. land — ground
  19. bay — a horse colour
  20. fork — a garden tool
  21. kid — to tease
  22. bay — a part of the sea
  23. hand — part of the body
  24. kid — child

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