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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. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  2. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  3. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  4. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  5. That was ________________ to happen.
  6. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  7. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  8. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  9. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  10. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  11. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  12. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  13. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  14. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  15. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  16. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  17. Have you found your soul ________________?
  18. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  19. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  20. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  21. False peace will not ________________.
  22. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  23. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  24. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  2. mate — to breed
  3. mate — a friend
  4. hide — animal skin
  5. bound — certain
  6. kid — child
  7. lash — to lash out
  8. track — a song
  9. last — finally
  10. bound — tied together
  11. hide — to keep secret
  12. last — final
  13. kid — to tease
  14. lash — an eyelash
  15. bound — obliged
  16. rest — what's left
  17. mate — a partner
  18. hide — to keep secret
  19. rest — a break
  20. rest — what's left
  21. last — to go on
  22. track — a path
  23. track — to keep track
  24. lash — a whip stroke

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