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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. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  3. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  4. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  5. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  6. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  7. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  8. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  9. That was a fun ________________.
  10. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  11. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  12. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  13. Did you ________________ the button?
  14. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  15. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  16. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  17. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  18. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  19. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  20. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  21. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  22. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  23. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  24. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.

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

Answer key

  1. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  2. hand — part of the body
  3. face — to point toward
  4. rest — what's left
  5. can — a tin
  6. rest — a break
  7. face — part of the head
  8. press — newspapers
  9. game — a match
  10. press — a publisher
  11. kid — child
  12. can — to be able to
  13. press — to push
  14. hand — in cards
  15. band — a music group
  16. rest — what's left
  17. band — a rubber band
  18. kid — to tease
  19. band — a ring
  20. face — to confront
  21. hand — help
  22. can — a tin
  23. game — wild animals
  24. game — a kind of play

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