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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. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  2. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  3. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  4. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  5. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  6. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  7. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  8. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  9. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  10. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  11. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  12. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  13. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  14. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  15. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  16. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  17. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  18. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  19. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  20. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  21. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  22. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  23. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  24. When will it ________________ you to start?

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

Answer key

  1. bank — for money
  2. hide — to keep secret
  3. deal — to handle
  4. bank — for money
  5. suit — clothes
  6. clip — for paper
  7. kid — to tease
  8. deal — a big deal
  9. suit — in cards
  10. racket — for tennis
  11. bank — of a river
  12. clip — a video
  13. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  14. hide — to keep secret
  15. clip — to cut
  16. racket — for tennis
  17. hide — animal skin
  18. kid — child
  19. deal — an agreement
  20. capital — a big letter
  21. capital — a city
  22. capital — money
  23. racket — a loud noise
  24. suit — to fit

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