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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. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  3. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  4. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  5. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  6. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  7. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  8. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  9. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  10. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  11. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  12. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  13. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  14. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  15. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  16. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  17. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  18. My father caught me by the ________________.
  19. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  20. My mare is ________________ in color.
  21. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  22. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  23. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  24. A black ________________ roamed the forest.

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

Answer key

  1. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  2. chair — a professorship
  3. tear — from crying
  4. arm — part of the body
  5. tear — to rip
  6. kid — to tease
  7. patient — a sick person
  8. fall — to drop
  9. chair — a leader
  10. bay — to keep at bay
  11. bay — a part of the sea
  12. arm — a part of something
  13. chair — to sit on
  14. patient — a sick person
  15. kid — child
  16. patient — calm and waiting
  17. fall — to drop
  18. arm — part of the body
  19. fall — the season
  20. bay — a horse colour
  21. bear — to put up with
  22. tear — from crying
  23. bear — the animal
  24. bear — the animal

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