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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 120 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 cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  3. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  4. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  5. That was a fun ________________.
  6. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  7. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  8. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  9. He was locked up in a ________________.
  10. My father caught me by the ________________.
  11. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  12. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  13. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  14. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  15. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  16. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  17. I'll be taking the ________________.
  18. The ________________ went through the wall.
  19. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  20. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  21. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  22. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  23. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  24. When will it ________________ you to start?

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

Answer key

  1. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  2. suit — clothes
  3. nail — on a finger
  4. arm — part of the body
  5. game — a match
  6. present — there
  7. game — a kind of play
  8. cell — in biology
  9. cell — in a prison
  10. arm — part of the body
  11. kid — to tease
  12. tube — a container
  13. suit — in cards
  14. present — a gift
  15. tube — in a tire
  16. game — wild animals
  17. tube — the underground
  18. nail — for a hammer
  19. arm — a part of something
  20. nail — for a hammer
  21. present — the time now
  22. kid — child
  23. cell — a phone
  24. suit — to fit

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