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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. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  2. That must've been a ________________.
  3. This piece is in a major ________________.
  4. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  5. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  6. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  7. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  8. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  9. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  10. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  11. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  12. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  13. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  14. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  15. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  16. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  17. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  18. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  19. The tickets are free of ________________.
  20. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  21. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  22. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  23. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  24. You shouldn't ________________ things.

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

Answer key

  1. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  2. rush — a thrill
  3. key — in music
  4. charge — electricity
  5. rule — to rule out
  6. degree — temperature
  7. kid — child
  8. key — the most important part
  9. kick — in football
  10. degree — an amount
  11. degree — from a university
  12. patient — a sick person
  13. patient — calm and waiting
  14. rush — hurry
  15. rule — a law
  16. kick — a thrill
  17. kick — with a leg
  18. rule — government
  19. charge — a price
  20. patient — a sick person
  21. charge — in control
  22. key — for a lock
  23. kid — to tease
  24. rush — to hurry

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