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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. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  3. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  4. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  5. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  6. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  7. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  8. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  9. The tickets are free of ________________.
  10. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  11. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  12. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  13. I'll be taking the ________________.
  14. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  15. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  16. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  17. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  18. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  19. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  20. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  21. When will it ________________ you to start?
  22. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  23. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  24. We ________________ up on opposing sides.

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

Answer key

  1. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  2. hide — to keep secret
  3. capital — money
  4. lie — an untruth
  5. kid — to tease
  6. hide — to keep secret
  7. tube — a container
  8. kid — child
  9. charge — a price
  10. lie — an untruth
  11. tube — in a tire
  12. capital — a big letter
  13. tube — the underground
  14. suit — in cards
  15. suit — clothes
  16. wound — an injury
  17. lie — to recline
  18. hide — animal skin
  19. wound — an injury
  20. capital — a city
  21. suit — to fit
  22. charge — in control
  23. charge — electricity
  24. wound — past of 'wind'

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