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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. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  3. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  4. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  5. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  6. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  7. Have you met the new head ________________?
  8. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  9. The King held a masked ________________.
  10. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  11. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  12. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  13. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  14. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  15. That was ________________ to happen.
  16. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  17. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  18. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  19. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  20. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  21. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  22. What do you think of the new ________________?
  23. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  24. I don't want to ________________ the boat.

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

Answer key

  1. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  2. kick — a thrill
  3. kid — child
  4. coach — a trainer
  5. dip — a sauce
  6. ball — a great time
  7. coach — a trainer
  8. kick — with a leg
  9. ball — a dance
  10. cabinet — a cupboard
  11. kid — to tease
  12. bound — obliged
  13. rock — music
  14. cabinet — ministers
  15. bound — certain
  16. bound — tied together
  17. kick — in football
  18. coach — pulled by horses
  19. rock — a stone
  20. ball — a round shape
  21. dip — to dunk
  22. cabinet — ministers
  23. dip — to sink
  24. rock — to move gently

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