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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. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  2. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  3. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  4. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  5. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  6. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  7. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  8. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  9. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  10. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  11. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  12. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  13. She's very handy with a ________________.
  14. When will it ________________ you to start?
  15. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  16. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  17. My father caught me by the ________________.
  18. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  19. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  20. He works in a ________________ mill.
  21. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  22. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  23. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  24. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.

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

Answer key

  1. kid — to tease
  2. saw — past of 'see'
  3. arm — part of the body
  4. can — a tin
  5. arm — a part of something
  6. can — a tin
  7. lie — an untruth
  8. can — to be able to
  9. suit — clothes
  10. lie — to recline
  11. fine — all right
  12. lie — an untruth
  13. saw — the tool
  14. suit — to fit
  15. squash — the sport
  16. fine — a penalty
  17. arm — part of the body
  18. squash — to crush
  19. fine — high quality
  20. saw — the tool
  21. suit — in cards
  22. squash — the vegetable
  23. kid — child
  24. kid — young goat (kid gloves)

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