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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. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  3. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  4. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  5. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  6. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  7. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  8. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  9. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  10. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  11. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  12. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  13. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  14. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  15. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  16. He works in a ________________ mill.
  17. She's very handy with a ________________.
  18. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  19. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  20. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  21. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  22. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  23. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  24. This piece is in a major ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  2. fork — to eat with
  3. rest — what's left
  4. spring — of water
  5. rule — a law
  6. spring — the season
  7. rest — a break
  8. rule — government
  9. rest — what's left
  10. key — for a lock
  11. fork — a garden tool
  12. calf — of the leg
  13. fork — in a road
  14. rule — to rule out
  15. key — the most important part
  16. saw — the tool
  17. saw — the tool
  18. calf — a young animal
  19. kid — child
  20. kid — to tease
  21. spring — a coil
  22. saw — past of 'see'
  23. calf — a young animal
  24. key — in music

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