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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. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  2. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  3. What do you think of the new ________________?
  4. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  5. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  6. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  7. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  8. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  9. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  10. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  11. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  12. Did you ________________ the meat?
  13. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  14. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  15. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  16. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  17. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  18. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  19. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  20. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  21. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  22. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  23. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  24. The people resisted their cruel ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — to cool the air
  2. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  3. cabinet — ministers
  4. ruler — for measuring
  5. kid — to tease
  6. chair — a leader
  7. hand — in cards
  8. season — in sport
  9. season — of the year
  10. cabinet — a cupboard
  11. fan — a supporter
  12. season — to add flavour
  13. ruler — for measuring
  14. cabinet — ministers
  15. chair — a professorship
  16. kid — child
  17. chip — in a computer
  18. fan — a supporter
  19. chip — to eat
  20. hand — part of the body
  21. chair — to sit on
  22. chip — for betting
  23. hand — help
  24. ruler — a monarch

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