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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. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  3. The ________________ market has crashed.
  4. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  5. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  6. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  7. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  8. Did you ________________ the meat?
  9. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  10. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  11. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  12. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  13. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  14. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  15. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  16. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  17. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  18. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  19. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  20. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  21. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  22. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  23. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  24. We took cover from the thunder ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  2. can — a tin
  3. stock — shares
  4. fall — to drop
  5. kick — in football
  6. kick — a thrill
  7. shower — to wash
  8. season — to add flavour
  9. can — a tin
  10. fall — the season
  11. season — of the year
  12. kid — child
  13. season — in sport
  14. fall — to drop
  15. kick — with a leg
  16. shower — a meteor shower
  17. kid — to tease
  18. drill — a practice
  19. drill — army training
  20. can — to be able to
  21. stock — goods
  22. stock — a soup base
  23. drill — the tool
  24. shower — rain

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