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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. How do you ________________ your surname?
  3. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  4. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  5. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  6. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  7. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  8. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  9. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  10. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  11. That must've been a ________________.
  12. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  13. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  14. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  15. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  16. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  17. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  18. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  19. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  20. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  21. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  22. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  23. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  24. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.

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

Answer key

  1. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  2. spell — letters
  3. deal — to handle
  4. clip — a video
  5. spell — magic
  6. deal — an agreement
  7. hide — to keep secret
  8. rush — to hurry
  9. kid — child
  10. hide — to keep secret
  11. rush — a thrill
  12. hide — animal skin
  13. ruler — for measuring
  14. ruler — for measuring
  15. wax — for sculpting
  16. ruler — a monarch
  17. clip — for paper
  18. spell — a short time
  19. kid — to tease
  20. wax — to grow
  21. clip — to cut
  22. rush — hurry
  23. wax — in the ear
  24. deal — a big deal

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