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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. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  3. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  4. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  5. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  6. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  7. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  8. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  9. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  10. Where did you ________________ them?
  11. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  12. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  13. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  14. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  15. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  16. False peace will not ________________.
  17. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  18. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  19. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  20. When will it ________________ you to start?
  21. My father caught me by the ________________.
  22. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  23. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  24. He's taking a ________________ right now.

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

Answer key

  1. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  2. kid — child
  3. kid — to tease
  4. suit — clothes
  5. field — farmland
  6. object — to protest
  7. suit — in cards
  8. field — for sport
  9. arm — a part of something
  10. mug — to rob
  11. mug — a cup
  12. mug — a face
  13. last — finally
  14. field — a subject
  15. shower — a meteor shower
  16. last — to go on
  17. arm — part of the body
  18. object — an aim
  19. shower — rain
  20. suit — to fit
  21. arm — part of the body
  22. last — final
  23. object — a thing
  24. shower — to wash

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