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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. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  2. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  3. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  4. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  5. I'll be taking the ________________.
  6. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  7. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  8. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  9. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  10. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  11. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  12. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  13. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  14. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  15. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  16. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  17. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  18. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  19. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  20. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  21. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  22. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  23. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  24. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  2. hand — in cards
  3. bank — for money
  4. lie — an untruth
  5. tube — the underground
  6. stick — a piece of wood
  7. mark — a trace
  8. kid — to tease
  9. bank — for money
  10. lie — an untruth
  11. stick — to attach or keep to
  12. bank — of a river
  13. tube — in a tire
  14. tube — a container
  15. present — the time now
  16. lie — to recline
  17. mark — a grade
  18. present — there
  19. hand — part of the body
  20. kid — child
  21. mark — to pay attention
  22. hand — help
  23. present — a gift
  24. stick — a piece of wood

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