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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. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  3. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  4. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  5. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  6. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  7. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  8. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  9. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  10. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  11. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  12. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  13. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  14. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  15. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  16. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  17. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  18. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  19. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  20. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  21. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  22. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  23. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  24. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  2. scale — size or range
  3. racket — for tennis
  4. lash — to lash out
  5. scale — in music
  6. root — the cause
  7. kid — to tease
  8. bear — the animal
  9. lash — an eyelash
  10. racket — for tennis
  11. lash — a whip stroke
  12. racket — a loud noise
  13. stick — to attach or keep to
  14. kid — child
  15. stick — a piece of wood
  16. root — of a word
  17. scale — for weighing
  18. root — of a plant
  19. calf — of the leg
  20. bear — the animal
  21. calf — a young animal
  22. calf — a young animal
  23. bear — to put up with
  24. stick — a piece of wood

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