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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. That must've been a ________________.
  2. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  3. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  4. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  5. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  6. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  7. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  8. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  9. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  10. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  11. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  12. What do you think of the new ________________?
  13. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  14. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  15. That was ________________ to happen.
  16. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  17. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  18. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  19. Have you found your soul ________________?
  20. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  21. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  22. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  23. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  24. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — a thrill
  2. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  3. kid — child
  4. firm — decided
  5. firm — a company
  6. mine — an explosive
  7. kid — to tease
  8. mine — for digging
  9. trunk — of a car
  10. firm — steady
  11. bound — tied together
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. bound — obliged
  14. rush — to hurry
  15. bound — certain
  16. rush — hurry
  17. mate — a friend
  18. trunk — of a tree
  19. mate — a partner
  20. mine — belonging to me
  21. cabinet — ministers
  22. trunk — of an elephant
  23. cabinet — a cupboard
  24. mate — to breed

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