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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. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  3. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  4. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  5. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  6. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  7. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  8. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  9. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  10. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  11. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  12. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  13. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  14. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  15. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  16. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  17. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  18. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  19. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  20. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  21. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  22. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  23. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  24. I assure you, everything's ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  2. hide — to keep secret
  3. track — to keep track
  4. drill — army training
  5. board — to get on
  6. fine — a penalty
  7. calf — a young animal
  8. fine — high quality
  9. kid — child
  10. bat — the animal
  11. board — a flat piece
  12. track — a path
  13. board — a committee
  14. hide — animal skin
  15. kid — to tease
  16. bat — for baseball
  17. calf — a young animal
  18. bat — in an idiom
  19. drill — the tool
  20. hide — to keep secret
  21. calf — of the leg
  22. drill — a practice
  23. track — a song
  24. fine — all right

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