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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. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  3. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  4. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  5. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  6. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  7. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  8. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  9. That was a fun ________________.
  10. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  11. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  12. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  13. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  14. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  15. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  16. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  17. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  18. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  19. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  20. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  21. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  22. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  23. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  24. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.

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

Answer key

  1. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  2. wave — of the sea
  3. mouse — for a computer
  4. mouse — the animal
  5. game — a kind of play
  6. track — a path
  7. mouse — the animal
  8. ruler — for measuring
  9. game — a match
  10. ruler — for measuring
  11. wave — a sudden rise
  12. kid — child
  13. bat — for baseball
  14. rest — what's left
  15. kid — to tease
  16. rest — what's left
  17. wave — with your hand
  18. ruler — a monarch
  19. rest — a break
  20. track — to keep track
  21. track — a song
  22. bat — in an idiom
  23. game — wild animals
  24. bat — the animal

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