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

Word bank: bear · mouse · fork · lie · kid · present · squash · tube

  1. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  2. I'll be taking the ________________.
  3. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  4. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  5. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  6. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  7. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  8. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  9. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  10. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  11. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  12. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  13. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  14. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  15. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  16. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  17. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  18. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  19. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  20. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  21. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  22. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  23. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  24. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.

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

Answer key

  1. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  2. tube — the underground
  3. kid — child
  4. lie — an untruth
  5. lie — an untruth
  6. kid — to tease
  7. mouse — for a computer
  8. mouse — the animal
  9. bear — to put up with
  10. tube — a container
  11. fork — in a road
  12. tube — in a tire
  13. lie — to recline
  14. bear — the animal
  15. mouse — the animal
  16. present — there
  17. present — the time now
  18. squash — to crush
  19. bear — the animal
  20. squash — the sport
  21. fork — to eat with
  22. present — a gift
  23. fork — a garden tool
  24. squash — the vegetable

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