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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 ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  3. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  4. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  5. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  6. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  7. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  8. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  9. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  10. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  11. Did you ________________ the meat?
  12. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  13. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  14. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  15. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  16. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  17. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  18. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  19. Have you met the new head ________________?
  20. That was ________________ to happen.
  21. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  22. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  23. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  24. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  2. coach — a trainer
  3. kid — to tease
  4. mark — to pay attention
  5. kid — child
  6. deal — a big deal
  7. season — of the year
  8. object — an aim
  9. coach — pulled by horses
  10. bound — tied together
  11. season — to add flavour
  12. object — a thing
  13. deal — to handle
  14. lash — an eyelash
  15. season — in sport
  16. object — to protest
  17. bound — obliged
  18. deal — an agreement
  19. coach — a trainer
  20. bound — certain
  21. mark — a trace
  22. lash — to lash out
  23. mark — a grade
  24. lash — a whip stroke

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