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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.

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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. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  3. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  4. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  5. He works in a ________________ mill.
  6. The ________________ went through the wall.
  7. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  8. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  9. She's very handy with a ________________.
  10. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  11. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  12. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  13. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  14. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  15. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  16. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  17. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  18. The tickets are free of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. kid — to tease
  2. rock — a stone
  3. charge — in control
  4. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  5. saw — the tool
  6. nail — for a hammer
  7. rock — to move gently
  8. pit — a fruit stone
  9. saw — the tool
  10. charge — electricity
  11. kid — child
  12. saw — past of 'see'
  13. pit — a hole
  14. rock — music
  15. nail — for a hammer
  16. pit — in a race
  17. nail — on a finger
  18. charge — a price

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