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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. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  4. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  5. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  6. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  7. When will it ________________ you to start?
  8. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  9. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  10. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  11. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  12. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  13. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  14. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  15. The ball is in your ________________.
  16. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  17. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  18. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  19. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  20. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  21. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  22. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  23. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  24. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.

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. snap — to snap out of it
  4. rest — what's left
  5. wound — an injury
  6. firm — steady
  7. suit — to fit
  8. wound — an injury
  9. court — of a king
  10. suit — in cards
  11. board — a flat piece
  12. snap — to click
  13. suit — clothes
  14. wound — past of 'wind'
  15. court — for sport
  16. firm — decided
  17. firm — a company
  18. kid — to tease
  19. board — a committee
  20. rest — a break
  21. snap — to speak sharply
  22. rest — what's left
  23. court — of law
  24. board — to get on

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