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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 116 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. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  3. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  4. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  5. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  6. He works in a ________________ mill.
  7. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  8. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  9. She's very handy with a ________________.
  10. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  11. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  12. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  13. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  14. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  15. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  16. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  17. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  18. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  19. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  20. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  21. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  22. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  23. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  24. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.

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

Answer key

  1. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  2. board — a committee
  3. safe — out of danger
  4. spring — of water
  5. pit — a fruit stone
  6. saw — the tool
  7. board — to get on
  8. saw — past of 'see'
  9. saw — the tool
  10. safe — a strongbox
  11. board — a flat piece
  12. pit — in a race
  13. spring — the season
  14. wind — moving air
  15. spring — a coil
  16. pit — a hole
  17. wax — for sculpting
  18. wind — to turn a key
  19. wax — to grow
  20. safe — out of danger
  21. wind — moving air
  22. kid — child
  23. wax — in the ear
  24. kid — to tease

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