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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. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  3. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  4. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  5. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  6. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  7. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  8. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  9. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  10. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  11. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  12. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  13. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  14. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  15. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  16. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  17. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  18. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  19. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  20. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  21. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  22. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  23. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  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. hide — animal skin
  3. lash — to lash out
  4. hide — to keep secret
  5. clip — for paper
  6. cap — a hat
  7. hide — to keep secret
  8. clip — to cut
  9. bear — to put up with
  10. kid — to tease
  11. safe — a strongbox
  12. cap — of ice
  13. safe — out of danger
  14. clip — a video
  15. safe — out of danger
  16. lash — a whip stroke
  17. kid — child
  18. lash — an eyelash
  19. stick — to attach or keep to
  20. bear — the animal
  21. stick — a piece of wood
  22. bear — the animal
  23. cap — a lid
  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