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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 120 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.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
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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. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  3. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  4. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  5. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  6. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  7. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  8. The water is too ________________.
  9. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  10. That was a fun ________________.
  11. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  12. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  13. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  14. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  15. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  16. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  17. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  18. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  19. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  20. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  21. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  22. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  23. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  24. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  2. wax — in the ear
  3. cold — an illness
  4. game — wild animals
  5. safe — out of danger
  6. kid — to tease
  7. safe — a strongbox
  8. cold — not warm
  9. vault — in gymnastics
  10. game — a match
  11. wax — for sculpting
  12. game — a kind of play
  13. vault — an arched ceiling
  14. fine — high quality
  15. bowl — a football final
  16. bowl — to roll
  17. kid — child
  18. bowl — a dish
  19. cold — the Cold War
  20. wax — to grow
  21. safe — out of danger
  22. fine — all right
  23. fine — a penalty
  24. vault — a safe

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