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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. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  2. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  3. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  4. She's very handy with a ________________.
  5. You don't need to ________________ round.
  6. He works in a ________________ mill.
  7. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  8. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  9. We're almost out of ________________.
  10. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  11. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  12. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  13. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  14. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  15. The tickets are free of ________________.
  16. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  17. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  18. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  19. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  20. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  21. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  22. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  23. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  24. I don't want to ________________ the boat.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — for weighing
  2. saw — past of 'see'
  3. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  4. saw — the tool
  5. pop — to visit
  6. saw — the tool
  7. charge — electricity
  8. kid — child
  9. pop — soda
  10. hide — to keep secret
  11. rock — a stone
  12. stick — a piece of wood
  13. scale — in music
  14. hide — animal skin
  15. charge — a price
  16. stick — a piece of wood
  17. rock — music
  18. stick — to attach or keep to
  19. hide — to keep secret
  20. scale — size or range
  21. pop — music
  22. kid — to tease
  23. charge — in control
  24. rock — to move gently

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