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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. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  2. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  3. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  4. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  5. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  6. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  7. It's one o'clock ________________.
  8. The King held a masked ________________.
  9. That must've been a ________________.
  10. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  11. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  12. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  13. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  14. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  15. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  16. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  17. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  18. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  19. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  20. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  21. Have you met the new head ________________?
  22. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  23. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  24. He has no idea where the ________________ is.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a great time
  2. rule — to rule out
  3. sharp — clever
  4. kid — child
  5. tear — from crying
  6. tear — from crying
  7. sharp — exactly
  8. ball — a dance
  9. rush — a thrill
  10. tear — to rip
  11. rush — to hurry
  12. coach — pulled by horses
  13. sharp — with an edge
  14. coach — a trainer
  15. kid — to tease
  16. safe — out of danger
  17. safe — out of danger
  18. rush — hurry
  19. rule — government
  20. rule — a law
  21. coach — a trainer
  22. ball — a round shape
  23. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  24. safe — a strongbox

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