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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. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  3. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  4. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  5. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  6. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  7. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  8. How do you ________________ your surname?
  9. Have you met the new head ________________?
  10. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  11. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  12. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  13. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  14. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  15. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  16. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  17. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  18. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  19. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  20. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  21. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  22. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  23. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  24. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  2. staff — employees
  3. lean — thin
  4. coach — a trainer
  5. lean — to rest against
  6. staff — employees
  7. cue — a signal
  8. spell — letters
  9. coach — a trainer
  10. coach — pulled by horses
  11. straw — a straw man
  12. staff — a stick
  13. cue — a hint
  14. spell — a short time
  15. kid — to tease
  16. straw — to clutch at straws
  17. fine — all right
  18. fine — high quality
  19. lean — to bend
  20. spell — magic
  21. straw — dry grass
  22. cue — for pool
  23. fine — a penalty
  24. kid — child

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