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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 116 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 put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  3. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  4. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  5. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  6. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  7. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  8. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  9. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  10. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  11. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  12. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  13. Did you ________________ the meat?
  14. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  15. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  16. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  17. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  18. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  19. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  20. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  21. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  22. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  23. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  24. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.

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

Answer key

  1. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  2. chair — to sit on
  3. kid — child
  4. spring — of water
  5. staff — employees
  6. perch — for a bird
  7. chair — a professorship
  8. safe — out of danger
  9. deal — to handle
  10. spring — a coil
  11. kid — to tease
  12. season — of the year
  13. season — to add flavour
  14. spring — the season
  15. season — in sport
  16. chair — a leader
  17. deal — a big deal
  18. perch — the fish
  19. safe — a strongbox
  20. staff — a stick
  21. staff — employees
  22. safe — out of danger
  23. perch — for a bird
  24. deal — an agreement

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