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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. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  3. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  4. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  5. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  6. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  7. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  8. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  9. That was ________________ to happen.
  10. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  11. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  12. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  13. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  14. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  15. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  16. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  17. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  18. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  19. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  20. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  21. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  22. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  23. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  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. prune — to trim
  3. deal — a big deal
  4. scale — in music
  5. prune — the fruit
  6. scale — for weighing
  7. safe — out of danger
  8. kid — child
  9. bound — certain
  10. safe — a strongbox
  11. prune — to trim
  12. deal — to handle
  13. bound — obliged
  14. safe — out of danger
  15. kick — a thrill
  16. bound — tied together
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. stick — a piece of wood
  19. deal — an agreement
  20. stick — to attach or keep to
  21. kick — in football
  22. kick — with a leg
  23. scale — size or range
  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