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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've got the luggage in my ________________.
  3. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  4. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  5. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  6. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  7. Have you met the new head ________________?
  8. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  9. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  10. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  11. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  12. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  13. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  14. Don't do anything ________________.
  15. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  16. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  17. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  18. Where did you ________________ them?
  19. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  20. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  21. The tickets are free of ________________.
  22. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  23. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  24. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like 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. trunk — of a car
  3. charge — in control
  4. coach — a trainer
  5. present — a gift
  6. trunk — of a tree
  7. coach — a trainer
  8. tear — to rip
  9. mug — a face
  10. kid — child
  11. tear — from crying
  12. charge — electricity
  13. rash — on the skin
  14. rash — hasty
  15. tear — from crying
  16. present — the time now
  17. trunk — of an elephant
  18. mug — to rob
  19. rash — a series
  20. coach — pulled by horses
  21. charge — a price
  22. mug — a cup
  23. present — there
  24. kid — to tease

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