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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. Did you ________________ the button?
  3. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  4. What do you think of the new ________________?
  5. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  6. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  7. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  8. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  9. This piece is in a major ________________.
  10. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  11. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  12. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  13. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  14. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  15. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  16. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  17. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  18. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  19. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  20. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  21. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  22. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  23. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  24. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.

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

Answer key

  1. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  2. press — to push
  3. lash — to lash out
  4. cabinet — ministers
  5. current — happening now
  6. key — for a lock
  7. cabinet — a cupboard
  8. cabinet — ministers
  9. key — in music
  10. key — the most important part
  11. craft — boats
  12. current — of water
  13. lash — an eyelash
  14. kid — to tease
  15. craft — a handicraft
  16. craft — a skill
  17. current — electric
  18. content — happy
  19. content — videos and posts
  20. content — the amount
  21. kid — child
  22. press — a publisher
  23. lash — a whip stroke
  24. press — newspapers

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