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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. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  3. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  4. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  5. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  6. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  7. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  8. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  9. The ________________ went through the wall.
  10. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  11. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  12. When was this ________________ built?
  13. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  14. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  15. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  16. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  17. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  18. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  19. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  20. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  21. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  22. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  23. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  24. That must've been a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  2. rush — to hurry
  3. nail — on a finger
  4. vault — in gymnastics
  5. hand — in cards
  6. hand — help
  7. vault — a safe
  8. bear — the animal
  9. nail — for a hammer
  10. nail — for a hammer
  11. wound — past of 'wind'
  12. temple — a place of worship
  13. wound — an injury
  14. bear — to put up with
  15. kid — to tease
  16. temple — side of the head
  17. hand — part of the body
  18. kid — child
  19. bear — the animal
  20. rush — hurry
  21. vault — an arched ceiling
  22. temple — a place of worship
  23. wound — an injury
  24. rush — a thrill

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