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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. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  3. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  4. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  5. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  6. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  7. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  8. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  9. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  10. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  11. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  12. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  13. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  14. He works in a ________________ mill.
  15. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  16. She's very handy with a ________________.
  17. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  18. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  19. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  20. That must've been a ________________.
  21. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  22. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  23. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  24. The ball is in your ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  2. saw — past of 'see'
  3. hide — animal skin
  4. rush — to hurry
  5. can — a tin
  6. court — of law
  7. rush — hurry
  8. hide — to keep secret
  9. kid — to tease
  10. trunk — of a tree
  11. trunk — of an elephant
  12. kid — child
  13. content — videos and posts
  14. saw — the tool
  15. can — a tin
  16. saw — the tool
  17. hide — to keep secret
  18. content — the amount
  19. content — happy
  20. rush — a thrill
  21. can — to be able to
  22. trunk — of a car
  23. court — of a king
  24. court — for sport

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