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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 120 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. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  2. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  3. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  4. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  5. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  6. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  7. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  8. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  9. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  10. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  11. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  12. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  13. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  14. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  15. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  16. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  17. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  18. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  19. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  20. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  21. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  22. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  23. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  24. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.

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

Answer key

  1. kid — child
  2. mouse — the animal
  3. hand — help
  4. staff — employees
  5. hide — to keep secret
  6. content — happy
  7. mouse — for a computer
  8. mark — to pay attention
  9. safe — out of danger
  10. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  11. staff — a stick
  12. safe — out of danger
  13. mark — a grade
  14. kid — to tease
  15. hand — in cards
  16. content — videos and posts
  17. staff — employees
  18. mark — a trace
  19. safe — a strongbox
  20. hand — part of the body
  21. hide — to keep secret
  22. content — the amount
  23. mouse — the animal
  24. hide — animal skin

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