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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. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  3. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  4. Have you found your soul ________________?
  5. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  6. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  7. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  8. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  9. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  10. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  11. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  12. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  13. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  14. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  15. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  16. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  17. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  18. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  19. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  20. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  21. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  22. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  23. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  24. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  2. staff — a stick
  3. club — a group
  4. mate — a partner
  5. deal — an agreement
  6. staff — employees
  7. wind — moving air
  8. club — for golf
  9. wind — moving air
  10. kid — to tease
  11. staff — employees
  12. fan — a supporter
  13. fan — a supporter
  14. wind — to turn a key
  15. toast — bread
  16. club — for dancing
  17. toast — a drink to someone
  18. toast — the most admired
  19. mate — a friend
  20. mate — to breed
  21. deal — a big deal
  22. fan — to cool the air
  23. deal — to handle
  24. kid — child

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