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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 sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  3. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  4. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  5. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  6. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  7. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  8. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  9. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  10. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  11. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  12. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  13. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  14. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  15. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  16. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  17. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  18. My father caught me by the ________________.
  19. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  20. The ball is in your ________________.
  21. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  22. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  23. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  24. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  2. arm — a part of something
  3. dip — to sink
  4. dip — to dunk
  5. court — of law
  6. bowl — a dish
  7. fine — all right
  8. shower — to wash
  9. shower — a meteor shower
  10. dip — a sauce
  11. fine — a penalty
  12. wax — for sculpting
  13. kid — child
  14. bowl — a football final
  15. arm — part of the body
  16. fine — high quality
  17. wax — to grow
  18. arm — part of the body
  19. court — of a king
  20. court — for sport
  21. bowl — to roll
  22. shower — rain
  23. kid — to tease
  24. wax — in the ear

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