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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. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  2. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  3. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  4. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  5. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  6. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  7. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  8. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  9. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  10. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  11. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  12. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  13. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  14. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  15. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  16. David sat on the ________________.
  17. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  18. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  19. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  20. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  21. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  22. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  23. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  24. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.

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

Answer key

  1. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  2. swing — music
  3. hide — to keep secret
  4. kid — to tease
  5. hide — to keep secret
  6. kid — child
  7. wax — to grow
  8. hide — animal skin
  9. rest — what's left
  10. mark — to pay attention
  11. wound — an injury
  12. wake — before a funeral
  13. wake — to stop sleeping
  14. wound — past of 'wind'
  15. wax — for sculpting
  16. swing — to play on
  17. wax — in the ear
  18. wound — an injury
  19. wake — a trail
  20. mark — a trace
  21. rest — what's left
  22. mark — a grade
  23. rest — a break
  24. swing — in golf

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