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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 124 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. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  2. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  3. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  4. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  5. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  6. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  7. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  8. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  9. He works in a ________________ mill.
  10. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  11. She's very handy with a ________________.
  12. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  13. That was a fun ________________.
  14. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  15. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  16. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  17. That must've been a ________________.
  18. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  19. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  20. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  21. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  22. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  23. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  24. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.

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

Answer key

  1. tear — to rip
  2. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  3. foot — part of the body
  4. kid — child
  5. kid — to tease
  6. patient — a sick person
  7. patient — a sick person
  8. board — a flat piece
  9. saw — the tool
  10. game — wild animals
  11. saw — the tool
  12. saw — past of 'see'
  13. game — a match
  14. foot — a measure
  15. rush — to hurry
  16. board — to get on
  17. rush — a thrill
  18. rush — hurry
  19. foot — the bottom
  20. board — a committee
  21. tear — from crying
  22. patient — calm and waiting
  23. game — a kind of play
  24. tear — from crying

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