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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 124 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. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  3. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  4. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  5. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  6. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  7. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  8. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  9. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  10. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  11. Don't do anything ________________.
  12. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  13. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  14. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  15. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  16. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  17. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  18. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  19. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  20. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  21. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  22. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  23. The ________________ went through the wall.
  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. mark — a trace
  3. nail — for a hammer
  4. current — of water
  5. rash — on the skin
  6. current — electric
  7. nail — on a finger
  8. deal — to handle
  9. current — happening now
  10. deal — a big deal
  11. rash — hasty
  12. rash — a series
  13. fall — to drop
  14. deal — an agreement
  15. mark — to pay attention
  16. spring — a coil
  17. fall — the season
  18. kid — child
  19. mark — a grade
  20. spring — the season
  21. spring — of water
  22. fall — to drop
  23. nail — for a hammer
  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