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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. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  3. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  4. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  5. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  6. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  7. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  8. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  9. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  10. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  11. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  12. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  13. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  14. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  15. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  16. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  17. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  18. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  19. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  20. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  21. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  22. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  23. That was ________________ to happen.
  24. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  2. bank — for money
  3. mouse — for a computer
  4. kid — to tease
  5. patient — a sick person
  6. mouse — the animal
  7. bank — of a river
  8. bound — tied together
  9. kid — child
  10. fine — high quality
  11. bound — obliged
  12. fine — a penalty
  13. lean — to rest against
  14. straw — to clutch at straws
  15. fine — all right
  16. straw — a straw man
  17. lean — thin
  18. patient — calm and waiting
  19. patient — a sick person
  20. mouse — the animal
  21. bank — for money
  22. lean — to bend
  23. bound — certain
  24. straw — dry grass

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