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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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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: kid · mark · can · object · bear · staff · saw · tear

  1. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  2. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  3. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  4. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  5. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  6. He works in a ________________ mill.
  7. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  8. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  9. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  10. She's very handy with a ________________.
  11. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  12. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  13. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  14. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  15. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  16. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  17. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  18. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  19. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  20. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  21. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  22. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  23. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  24. A black ________________ roamed the forest.

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

Answer key

  1. kid — child
  2. mark — a grade
  3. can — a tin
  4. staff — a stick
  5. can — to be able to
  6. saw — the tool
  7. saw — past of 'see'
  8. tear — from crying
  9. staff — employees
  10. saw — the tool
  11. object — to protest
  12. tear — to rip
  13. mark — a trace
  14. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  15. bear — to put up with
  16. tear — from crying
  17. object — an aim
  18. mark — to pay attention
  19. can — a tin
  20. object — a thing
  21. bear — the animal
  22. kid — to tease
  23. staff — employees
  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