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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. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  3. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  4. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  5. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  6. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  7. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  8. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  9. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  10. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  11. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  12. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  13. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  14. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  15. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  16. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  17. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  18. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  19. I'll be taking the ________________.
  20. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  21. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  22. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  23. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  24. The flowers bloom in the ________________.

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 — to tease
  3. kick — a thrill
  4. can — a tin
  5. pit — a fruit stone
  6. can — a tin
  7. vault — in gymnastics
  8. vault — a safe
  9. mark — to pay attention
  10. pit — in a race
  11. can — to be able to
  12. tube — a container
  13. tube — in a tire
  14. pit — a hole
  15. kid — child
  16. vault — an arched ceiling
  17. mark — a trace
  18. kick — in football
  19. tube — the underground
  20. kick — with a leg
  21. mark — a grade
  22. spring — a coil
  23. spring — of water
  24. spring — the season

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