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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. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  2. I can't ________________ this cold.
  3. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  4. Don't do anything ________________.
  5. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  6. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  7. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  8. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  9. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  10. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  11. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  12. My father caught me by the ________________.
  13. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  14. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  15. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  16. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  17. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  18. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  19. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  20. What do you think of the new ________________?
  21. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  22. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  23. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  24. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.

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

Answer key

  1. wound — an injury
  2. stand — to bear
  3. rash — a series
  4. rash — hasty
  5. kick — a thrill
  6. kid — child
  7. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  8. jam — in traffic
  9. kick — in football
  10. kick — with a leg
  11. cabinet — a cupboard
  12. arm — part of the body
  13. jam — a tight spot
  14. stand — for spectators
  15. kid — to tease
  16. arm — a part of something
  17. jam — to spread on bread
  18. wound — an injury
  19. stand — on your feet
  20. cabinet — ministers
  21. wound — past of 'wind'
  22. rash — on the skin
  23. arm — part of the body
  24. cabinet — ministers

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