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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'll be taking the ________________.
  3. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  4. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  5. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  6. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  7. That must've been a ________________.
  8. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  9. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  10. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  11. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  12. This piece is in a major ________________.
  13. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  14. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  15. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  16. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  17. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  18. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  19. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  20. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  21. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  22. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  23. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  24. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.

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

Answer key

  1. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  2. tube — the underground
  3. root — the cause
  4. lash — to lash out
  5. fall — to drop
  6. dip — to sink
  7. rush — a thrill
  8. rush — to hurry
  9. dip — a sauce
  10. kid — to tease
  11. fall — to drop
  12. key — in music
  13. rush — hurry
  14. lash — an eyelash
  15. kid — child
  16. root — of a word
  17. key — the most important part
  18. tube — in a tire
  19. root — of a plant
  20. fall — the season
  21. lash — a whip stroke
  22. key — for a lock
  23. dip — to dunk
  24. tube — a container

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