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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. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  3. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  4. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  5. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  6. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  7. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  8. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  9. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  10. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  11. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  12. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  13. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  14. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  15. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  16. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  17. That was ________________ to happen.
  18. Have you met the new head ________________?
  19. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  20. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  21. Don't do anything ________________.
  22. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  23. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  24. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.

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

Answer key

  1. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  2. race — the arms race
  3. bound — tied together
  4. coach — pulled by horses
  5. clip — a video
  6. leaves — lets stay
  7. firm — steady
  8. race — a contest
  9. kid — to tease
  10. rash — on the skin
  11. clip — to cut
  12. clip — for paper
  13. leaves — to go away
  14. coach — a trainer
  15. bound — obliged
  16. kid — child
  17. bound — certain
  18. coach — a trainer
  19. leaves — of a tree
  20. firm — a company
  21. rash — hasty
  22. firm — decided
  23. race — humankind
  24. rash — a series

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