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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.

Make a worksheet

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. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  2. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  3. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  4. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  5. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  6. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  7. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  8. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  9. I can't ________________ this cold.
  10. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  11. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  12. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  13. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  14. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  15. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  16. The tickets are free of ________________.
  17. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  18. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.

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

Answer key

  1. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  2. clip — for paper
  3. charge — electricity
  4. stand — on your feet
  5. kid — to tease
  6. mouse — the animal
  7. rock — to move gently
  8. rock — a stone
  9. stand — to bear
  10. clip — to cut
  11. mouse — the animal
  12. kid — child
  13. stand — for spectators
  14. rock — music
  15. clip — a video
  16. charge — a price
  17. mouse — for a computer
  18. charge — in control

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