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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. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  3. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  4. I can't ________________ this cold.
  5. The King held a masked ________________.
  6. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  7. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  8. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  9. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  10. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  11. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  12. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  13. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  14. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  15. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  16. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  17. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  18. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  19. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  20. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  21. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  22. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  23. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  24. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  2. face — to confront
  3. mark — a grade
  4. stand — to bear
  5. ball — a dance
  6. wound — an injury
  7. stand — on your feet
  8. scale — for weighing
  9. face — part of the head
  10. mark — to pay attention
  11. wound — past of 'wind'
  12. kid — to tease
  13. ball — a round shape
  14. pass — to spend time
  15. pass — a permit
  16. kid — child
  17. pass — to succeed
  18. mark — a trace
  19. scale — in music
  20. stand — for spectators
  21. ball — a great time
  22. face — to point toward
  23. wound — an injury
  24. scale — size or range

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