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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. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  2. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  3. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  4. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  5. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  6. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  7. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  8. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  9. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  10. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  11. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  12. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  13. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  14. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  15. He works in a ________________ mill.
  16. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  17. The King held a masked ________________.
  18. When will it ________________ you to start?
  19. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  20. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  21. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  22. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  23. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  24. She's very handy with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. capital — money
  2. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  3. hide — animal skin
  4. suit — in cards
  5. band — a ring
  6. cap — of ice
  7. saw — past of 'see'
  8. suit — clothes
  9. ball — a round shape
  10. capital — a city
  11. hide — to keep secret
  12. kid — child
  13. kid — to tease
  14. hide — to keep secret
  15. saw — the tool
  16. ball — a great time
  17. ball — a dance
  18. suit — to fit
  19. capital — a big letter
  20. band — a rubber band
  21. cap — a hat
  22. band — a music group
  23. cap — a lid
  24. saw — the tool

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