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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. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  2. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  3. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  4. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  5. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  6. David sat on the ________________.
  7. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  8. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  9. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  10. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  11. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  12. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  13. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  14. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  15. The tickets are free of ________________.
  16. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  17. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  18. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  19. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  20. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  21. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  22. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  23. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  24. Have you found your soul ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  2. swing — music
  3. charge — in control
  4. mate — to breed
  5. swing — in golf
  6. swing — to play on
  7. pound — to hit hard
  8. lash — to lash out
  9. spring — a coil
  10. kid — to tease
  11. kid — child
  12. spring — the season
  13. firm — a company
  14. pound — for dogs
  15. charge — a price
  16. mate — a friend
  17. pound — a weight
  18. charge — electricity
  19. firm — steady
  20. lash — a whip stroke
  21. firm — decided
  22. spring — of water
  23. lash — an eyelash
  24. mate — a partner

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