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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. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  3. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  4. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  5. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  6. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  7. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  8. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  9. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  10. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  11. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  12. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  13. I'll be taking the ________________.
  14. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  15. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  16. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  17. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  18. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  19. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  20. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  21. The King held a masked ________________.
  22. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  23. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  24. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.

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

Answer key

  1. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  2. kid — to tease
  3. net — after costs
  4. lash — to lash out
  5. can — a tin
  6. can — to be able to
  7. lash — an eyelash
  8. vault — a safe
  9. lash — a whip stroke
  10. ball — a round shape
  11. net — for catching
  12. face — part of the head
  13. tube — the underground
  14. face — to point toward
  15. ball — a great time
  16. face — to confront
  17. tube — in a tire
  18. net — in sport
  19. vault — in gymnastics
  20. kid — child
  21. ball — a dance
  22. tube — a container
  23. vault — an arched ceiling
  24. can — a tin

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