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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: row · can · kid · bear · trunk · swing · sharp · mark

  1. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  2. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  3. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  4. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  5. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  6. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  7. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  8. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  9. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  10. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  11. It's one o'clock ________________.
  12. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  13. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  14. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  15. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  16. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  17. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  18. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  19. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  20. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  21. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  22. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  23. David sat on the ________________.
  24. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.

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

Answer key

  1. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  2. kid — child
  3. trunk — of a car
  4. trunk — of an elephant
  5. can — a tin
  6. sharp — clever
  7. mark — a grade
  8. swing — in golf
  9. can — to be able to
  10. bear — the animal
  11. sharp — exactly
  12. mark — to pay attention
  13. row — to paddle
  14. kid — to tease
  15. swing — music
  16. can — a tin
  17. sharp — with an edge
  18. row — a line
  19. bear — the animal
  20. row — a quarrel
  21. mark — a trace
  22. bear — to put up with
  23. swing — to play on
  24. trunk — of a tree

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