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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. Have you met the new head ________________?
  3. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  4. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  5. My father caught me by the ________________.
  6. He works in a ________________ mill.
  7. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  8. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  9. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  10. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  11. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  12. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  13. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  14. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  15. She's very handy with a ________________.
  16. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  17. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  18. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  19. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  20. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  21. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  22. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  23. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  24. This piece is in a major ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  2. coach — a trainer
  3. current — electric
  4. current — of water
  5. arm — part of the body
  6. saw — the tool
  7. kid — child
  8. lean — to bend
  9. fall — to drop
  10. key — the most important part
  11. arm — part of the body
  12. coach — pulled by horses
  13. lean — to rest against
  14. fall — the season
  15. saw — the tool
  16. coach — a trainer
  17. current — happening now
  18. saw — past of 'see'
  19. arm — a part of something
  20. key — for a lock
  21. lean — thin
  22. fall — to drop
  23. kid — to tease
  24. key — in music

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