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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. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  3. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  4. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  5. You don't need to ________________ round.
  6. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  7. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  8. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  9. The tickets are free of ________________.
  10. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  11. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  12. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  13. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  14. We're almost out of ________________.
  15. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  16. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  17. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  18. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  19. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  20. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  21. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  22. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  23. The King held a masked ________________.
  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. hand — part of the body
  3. pop — music
  4. hand — help
  5. pop — to visit
  6. ball — a great time
  7. lash — an eyelash
  8. race — humankind
  9. charge — a price
  10. ruler — for measuring
  11. charge — electricity
  12. hand — in cards
  13. ball — a round shape
  14. pop — soda
  15. kid — to tease
  16. race — the arms race
  17. race — a contest
  18. ruler — for measuring
  19. lash — a whip stroke
  20. ruler — a monarch
  21. lash — to lash out
  22. charge — in control
  23. ball — a dance
  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