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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. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  3. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  4. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  5. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  6. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  7. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  8. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  9. Did you ________________ the meat?
  10. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  11. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  12. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  13. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  14. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  15. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  16. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  17. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  18. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  19. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  20. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  21. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  22. There's no middle ________________.
  23. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  24. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.

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

Answer key

  1. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  2. kid — child
  3. safe — a strongbox
  4. lean — to rest against
  5. spring — a coil
  6. mark — to pay attention
  7. season — in sport
  8. spring — of water
  9. season — to add flavour
  10. hide — to keep secret
  11. hide — to keep secret
  12. lean — to bend
  13. safe — out of danger
  14. kid — to tease
  15. ground — crushed
  16. ground — the earth
  17. hide — animal skin
  18. spring — the season
  19. safe — out of danger
  20. season — of the year
  21. lean — thin
  22. ground — a position
  23. mark — a grade
  24. mark — a trace

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