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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. You don't need to ________________ round.
  3. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  4. My mare is ________________ in color.
  5. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  6. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  7. Where did you ________________ them?
  8. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  9. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  10. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  11. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  12. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  13. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  14. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  15. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  16. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  17. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  18. We're almost out of ________________.
  19. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  20. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  21. The ________________ took off on time.
  22. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  23. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  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. pop — to visit
  3. mug — a cup
  4. bay — a horse colour
  5. clip — to cut
  6. pop — music
  7. mug — to rob
  8. pit — in a race
  9. plane — in geometry
  10. hide — to keep secret
  11. mug — a face
  12. plane — a tool
  13. kid — child
  14. bay — to keep at bay
  15. pit — a fruit stone
  16. clip — for paper
  17. pit — a hole
  18. pop — soda
  19. hide — to keep secret
  20. bay — a part of the sea
  21. plane — an aircraft
  22. hide — animal skin
  23. clip — a video
  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