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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. Did you ________________ the button?
  3. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  4. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  5. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  6. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  7. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  8. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  9. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  10. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  11. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  12. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  13. That was ________________ to happen.
  14. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  15. Did you ________________ the meat?
  16. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  17. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  18. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  19. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  20. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  21. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  22. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  23. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  24. My father caught me by 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. press — to push
  3. kick — with a leg
  4. fine — all right
  5. wind — moving air
  6. arm — part of the body
  7. kid — to tease
  8. press — newspapers
  9. wind — moving air
  10. season — in sport
  11. bound — obliged
  12. season — of the year
  13. bound — certain
  14. press — a publisher
  15. season — to add flavour
  16. fine — high quality
  17. bound — tied together
  18. arm — a part of something
  19. kick — in football
  20. kid — child
  21. fine — a penalty
  22. wind — to turn a key
  23. kick — a thrill
  24. arm — part of the body

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