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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. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  3. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  4. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  5. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  6. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  7. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  8. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  9. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  10. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  11. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  12. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  13. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  14. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  15. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  16. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  17. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  18. That was a fun ________________.
  19. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  20. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  21. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  22. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  23. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  24. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.

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

Answer key

  1. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  2. stick — to attach or keep to
  3. stick — a piece of wood
  4. kid — child
  5. wind — moving air
  6. wind — moving air
  7. bear — to put up with
  8. bear — the animal
  9. ruler — for measuring
  10. ruler — a monarch
  11. bear — the animal
  12. trunk — of a car
  13. face — to confront
  14. kid — to tease
  15. game — wild animals
  16. game — a kind of play
  17. trunk — of an elephant
  18. game — a match
  19. trunk — of a tree
  20. face — to point toward
  21. stick — a piece of wood
  22. ruler — for measuring
  23. face — part of the head
  24. wind — to turn a key

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