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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. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  3. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  4. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  5. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  6. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  7. That was ________________ to happen.
  8. It's one o'clock ________________.
  9. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  10. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  11. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  12. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  13. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  14. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  15. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  16. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  17. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  18. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  19. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  20. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  21. When will it ________________ you to start?
  22. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  23. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  24. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.

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

Answer key

  1. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  2. patient — a sick person
  3. suit — in cards
  4. wave — a sudden rise
  5. bound — tied together
  6. wave — with your hand
  7. bound — certain
  8. sharp — exactly
  9. club — for dancing
  10. patient — a sick person
  11. club — a group
  12. wave — of the sea
  13. suit — clothes
  14. trunk — of a tree
  15. kid — child
  16. bound — obliged
  17. club — for golf
  18. trunk — of a car
  19. sharp — clever
  20. patient — calm and waiting
  21. suit — to fit
  22. trunk — of an elephant
  23. sharp — with an edge
  24. kid — to tease

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