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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. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  3. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  4. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  5. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  6. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  7. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  8. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  9. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  10. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  11. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  12. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  13. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  14. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  15. The King held a masked ________________.
  16. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  17. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  18. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  19. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  20. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  21. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  22. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  23. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  24. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.

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

Answer key

  1. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  2. bat — the animal
  3. ball — a great time
  4. kid — child
  5. kid — to tease
  6. wax — to grow
  7. lean — thin
  8. ball — a round shape
  9. wax — for sculpting
  10. kick — a thrill
  11. kick — with a leg
  12. bat — in an idiom
  13. rock — a stone
  14. current — of water
  15. ball — a dance
  16. current — happening now
  17. kick — in football
  18. current — electric
  19. lean — to bend
  20. rock — music
  21. rock — to move gently
  22. wax — in the ear
  23. bat — for baseball
  24. lean — to rest against

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