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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. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  2. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  3. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  4. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  5. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  6. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  7. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  8. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  9. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  10. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  11. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  12. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  13. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  14. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  15. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  16. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  17. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  18. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  19. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  20. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  21. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  22. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  23. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  24. I would like to have a ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. kid — child
  2. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  3. mine — for digging
  4. jam — in traffic
  5. safe — out of danger
  6. rule — a law
  7. dip — a sauce
  8. chair — to sit on
  9. dip — to sink
  10. rule — to rule out
  11. dip — to dunk
  12. jam — a tight spot
  13. chair — a leader
  14. kid — to tease
  15. rule — government
  16. rest — what's left
  17. rest — what's left
  18. mine — an explosive
  19. jam — to spread on bread
  20. safe — a strongbox
  21. chair — a professorship
  22. safe — out of danger
  23. mine — belonging to me
  24. rest — a break

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