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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 ________________ up on opposing sides.
  2. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  3. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  4. We're on a ________________ here.
  5. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  6. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  7. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  8. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  9. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  10. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  11. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  12. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  13. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  14. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  15. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  16. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  17. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  18. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  19. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  20. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  21. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  22. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  23. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  24. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wound — past of 'wind'
  2. wound — an injury
  3. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  4. roll — on a roll
  5. roll — a cake
  6. deal — an agreement
  7. safe — out of danger
  8. deal — to handle
  9. chair — a leader
  10. dip — a sauce
  11. dip — to sink
  12. safe — a strongbox
  13. mine — belonging to me
  14. mine — an explosive
  15. roll — a list
  16. mine — for digging
  17. wound — an injury
  18. dip — to dunk
  19. safe — out of danger
  20. chair — to sit on
  21. chair — a professorship
  22. deal — a big deal
  23. kid — to tease
  24. kid — child

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