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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.

Make a worksheet

Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
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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. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  2. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  3. The King held a masked ________________.
  4. Have you met the new head ________________?
  5. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  6. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  7. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  8. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  9. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  10. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  11. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  12. Don't do anything ________________.
  13. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  14. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  15. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  16. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  17. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  18. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  19. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  20. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  21. He was locked up in a ________________.
  22. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  23. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  24. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — on the skin
  2. ball — a round shape
  3. ball — a dance
  4. coach — a trainer
  5. stick — a piece of wood
  6. cell — in biology
  7. rash — a series
  8. fall — the season
  9. coach — pulled by horses
  10. kid — to tease
  11. cell — a phone
  12. rash — hasty
  13. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  14. mouse — the animal
  15. fall — to drop
  16. stick — to attach or keep to
  17. mouse — for a computer
  18. mouse — the animal
  19. coach — a trainer
  20. kid — child
  21. cell — in a prison
  22. fall — to drop
  23. stick — a piece of wood
  24. ball — a great time

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