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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. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  2. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  3. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  4. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  5. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  6. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  7. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  8. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  9. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  10. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  11. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  12. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  13. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  14. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  15. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  16. False peace will not ________________.
  17. The tickets are free of ________________.
  18. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  19. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  20. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  21. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  22. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  23. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  24. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.

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

Answer key

  1. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  2. charge — in control
  3. hand — part of the body
  4. wound — an injury
  5. hand — help
  6. wound — past of 'wind'
  7. kick — a thrill
  8. rock — music
  9. wound — an injury
  10. kick — with a leg
  11. rock — to move gently
  12. last — final
  13. kick — in football
  14. charge — electricity
  15. hand — in cards
  16. last — to go on
  17. charge — a price
  18. kid — to tease
  19. club — for dancing
  20. rock — a stone
  21. last — finally
  22. kid — child
  23. club — for golf
  24. club — a group

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