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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. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  3. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  4. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  5. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  6. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  7. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  8. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  9. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  10. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  11. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  12. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  13. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  14. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  15. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  16. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  17. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  18. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  19. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  20. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  21. Have you found your soul ________________?
  22. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  23. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  24. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.

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

Answer key

  1. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  2. mark — a grade
  3. safe — out of danger
  4. kid — to tease
  5. mate — to breed
  6. file — a tool
  7. root — of a plant
  8. kid — child
  9. calf — a young animal
  10. safe — out of danger
  11. mark — a trace
  12. safe — a strongbox
  13. calf — of the leg
  14. file — a document
  15. firm — steady
  16. file — a line of people
  17. calf — a young animal
  18. firm — decided
  19. firm — a company
  20. mark — to pay attention
  21. mate — a partner
  22. mate — a friend
  23. root — of a word
  24. root — the cause

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