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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. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  2. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  3. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  4. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  5. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  6. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  7. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  8. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  9. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  10. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  11. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  12. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  13. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  14. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  15. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  16. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  17. The King held a masked ________________.
  18. My father caught me by the ________________.
  19. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  20. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  21. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  22. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  23. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  24. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a round shape
  2. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  3. pass — to spend time
  4. ball — a great time
  5. lean — thin
  6. firm — a company
  7. chest — of your body
  8. arm — part of the body
  9. chest — of your body
  10. pass — a permit
  11. fork — to eat with
  12. lean — to bend
  13. firm — decided
  14. pass — to succeed
  15. kid — to tease
  16. fork — a garden tool
  17. ball — a dance
  18. arm — part of the body
  19. fork — in a road
  20. firm — steady
  21. arm — a part of something
  22. lean — to rest against
  23. chest — a box
  24. kid — child

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