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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 120 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 ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  3. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  4. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  5. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  6. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  7. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  8. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  9. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  10. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  11. When was this ________________ built?
  12. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  13. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  14. He was locked up in a ________________.
  15. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  16. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  17. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  18. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  19. My father caught me by the ________________.
  20. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  21. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  22. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  23. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  24. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.

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

Answer key

  1. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  2. patient — a sick person
  3. kid — to tease
  4. arm — a part of something
  5. cell — in biology
  6. cell — a phone
  7. kid — child
  8. temple — side of the head
  9. board — a flat piece
  10. straw — dry grass
  11. temple — a place of worship
  12. patient — a sick person
  13. patient — calm and waiting
  14. cell — in a prison
  15. temple — a place of worship
  16. wave — with your hand
  17. straw — a straw man
  18. arm — part of the body
  19. arm — part of the body
  20. board — to get on
  21. board — a committee
  22. straw — to clutch at straws
  23. wave — of the sea
  24. wave — a sudden rise

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