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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. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  3. Don't do anything ________________.
  4. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  5. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  6. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  7. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  8. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  9. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  10. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  11. I can't ________________ this cold.
  12. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  13. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  14. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  15. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  16. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  17. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  18. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  19. When will it ________________ you to start?
  20. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  21. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  22. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  23. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  24. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.

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

Answer key

  1. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  2. bowl — a dish
  3. rash — hasty
  4. ruler — a monarch
  5. rash — a series
  6. ruler — for measuring
  7. suit — in cards
  8. mine — for digging
  9. bowl — to roll
  10. spring — a coil
  11. stand — to bear
  12. suit — clothes
  13. rash — on the skin
  14. stand — on your feet
  15. ruler — for measuring
  16. bowl — a football final
  17. spring — the season
  18. stand — for spectators
  19. suit — to fit
  20. kid — to tease
  21. mine — an explosive
  22. kid — child
  23. spring — of water
  24. mine — belonging to me

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