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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. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  3. She's very handy with a ________________.
  4. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  5. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  6. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  7. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  8. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  9. What do you think of the new ________________?
  10. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  11. He works in a ________________ mill.
  12. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  13. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  14. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  15. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  16. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  17. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  18. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  19. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  20. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  21. The King held a masked ________________.
  22. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  23. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  24. The people resisted their cruel ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  2. saw — past of 'see'
  3. saw — the tool
  4. wake — a trail
  5. ball — a great time
  6. board — to get on
  7. kid — child
  8. board — a flat piece
  9. cabinet — ministers
  10. capital — a city
  11. saw — the tool
  12. wake — to stop sleeping
  13. kid — to tease
  14. ball — a round shape
  15. cabinet — a cupboard
  16. ruler — for measuring
  17. board — a committee
  18. wake — before a funeral
  19. capital — a big letter
  20. cabinet — ministers
  21. ball — a dance
  22. capital — money
  23. ruler — for measuring
  24. ruler — a monarch

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