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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. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  3. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  4. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  5. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  6. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  7. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  8. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  9. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  10. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  11. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  12. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  13. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  14. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  15. I can't ________________ this cold.
  16. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  17. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  18. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  19. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  20. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  21. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  22. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  23. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  24. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.

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

Answer key

  1. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  2. mouse — for a computer
  3. leaves — to go away
  4. leaves — lets stay
  5. spring — the season
  6. stand — on your feet
  7. mouse — the animal
  8. face — part of the head
  9. staff — employees
  10. kick — in football
  11. staff — employees
  12. staff — a stick
  13. kid — child
  14. leaves — of a tree
  15. stand — to bear
  16. spring — a coil
  17. face — to confront
  18. face — to point toward
  19. kick — with a leg
  20. mouse — the animal
  21. kick — a thrill
  22. spring — of water
  23. stand — for spectators
  24. kid — to tease

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