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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. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  3. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  4. Where did you ________________ them?
  5. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  6. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  7. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  8. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  9. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  10. Have you found your soul ________________?
  11. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  12. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  13. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  14. That must've been a ________________.
  15. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  16. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  17. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  18. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  19. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  20. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  21. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  22. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  23. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  24. ________________ you help me carry this box?

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

Answer key

  1. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  2. lie — an untruth
  3. rush — hurry
  4. mug — to rob
  5. firm — steady
  6. kid — child
  7. chest — of your body
  8. lie — an untruth
  9. mate — to breed
  10. mate — a partner
  11. kid — to tease
  12. can — a tin
  13. firm — a company
  14. rush — a thrill
  15. mug — a face
  16. lie — to recline
  17. chest — a box
  18. firm — decided
  19. mate — a friend
  20. rush — to hurry
  21. can — a tin
  22. chest — of your body
  23. mug — a cup
  24. can — to be able to

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