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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. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  2. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  3. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  4. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  5. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  6. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  7. Have you found your soul ________________?
  8. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  9. What do you think of the new ________________?
  10. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  11. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  12. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  13. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  14. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  15. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  16. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  17. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  18. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  19. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  20. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  21. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  22. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  23. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  24. He was blown up by a land ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. kid — to tease
  2. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  3. cabinet — ministers
  4. hide — animal skin
  5. mate — a friend
  6. hide — to keep secret
  7. mate — a partner
  8. mate — to breed
  9. cabinet — ministers
  10. kid — child
  11. bank — of a river
  12. bank — for money
  13. perch — for a bird
  14. perch — the fish
  15. cabinet — a cupboard
  16. staff — employees
  17. mine — for digging
  18. bank — for money
  19. hide — to keep secret
  20. mine — belonging to me
  21. staff — employees
  22. staff — a stick
  23. perch — for a bird
  24. mine — an explosive

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