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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. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  2. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  3. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  4. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  5. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  6. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  7. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  8. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  9. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  10. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  11. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  12. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  13. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  14. What do you think of the new ________________?
  15. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  16. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  17. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  18. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  19. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  20. Don't do anything ________________.
  21. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  22. The tickets are free of ________________.
  23. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  24. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — to keep secret
  2. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  3. kid — child
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. kid — to tease
  6. band — a ring
  7. band — a rubber band
  8. cabinet — ministers
  9. charge — in control
  10. band — a music group
  11. hide — to keep secret
  12. fan — a supporter
  13. rash — on the skin
  14. cabinet — ministers
  15. hide — animal skin
  16. object — to protest
  17. charge — electricity
  18. cabinet — a cupboard
  19. object — a thing
  20. rash — hasty
  21. fan — to cool the air
  22. charge — a price
  23. rash — a series
  24. object — an aim

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