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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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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. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  2. It's one o'clock ________________.
  3. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  4. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  5. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  6. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  7. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  8. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  9. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  10. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  11. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  12. Have you met the new head ________________?
  13. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  14. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  15. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  16. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  17. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  18. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.

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

Answer key

  1. kid — to tease
  2. sharp — exactly
  3. coach — a trainer
  4. ruler — a monarch
  5. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  6. foot — the bottom
  7. sharp — with an edge
  8. coach — pulled by horses
  9. fan — a supporter
  10. kid — child
  11. foot — a measure
  12. coach — a trainer
  13. sharp — clever
  14. ruler — for measuring
  15. foot — part of the body
  16. ruler — for measuring
  17. fan — to cool the air
  18. fan — a supporter

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