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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. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  3. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  4. This piece is in a major ________________.
  5. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  6. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  7. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  8. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  9. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  10. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  11. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  12. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  13. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  14. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  15. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  16. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  17. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  18. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  19. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  20. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  21. It's one o'clock ________________.
  22. Don't do anything ________________.
  23. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  24. How do you ________________ your surname?

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

Answer key

  1. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  2. pound — for dogs
  3. pound — to hit hard
  4. key — in music
  5. sharp — clever
  6. lean — thin
  7. kid — child
  8. dip — a sauce
  9. dip — to sink
  10. lean — to bend
  11. spell — magic
  12. spell — a short time
  13. rash — on the skin
  14. dip — to dunk
  15. rash — a series
  16. kid — to tease
  17. lean — to rest against
  18. sharp — with an edge
  19. key — for a lock
  20. key — the most important part
  21. sharp — exactly
  22. rash — hasty
  23. pound — a weight
  24. spell — letters

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