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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. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  3. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  4. He was locked up in a ________________.
  5. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  6. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  7. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  8. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  9. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  10. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  11. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  12. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  13. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  14. The ________________ went through the wall.
  15. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  16. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  17. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  18. That was ________________ to happen.
  19. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  20. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  21. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  22. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  23. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  24. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!

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

Answer key

  1. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  2. kid — child
  3. rule — a law
  4. cell — in a prison
  5. bound — tied together
  6. rest — what's left
  7. rule — to rule out
  8. kid — to tease
  9. rest — what's left
  10. rest — a break
  11. nail — on a finger
  12. mouse — for a computer
  13. rule — government
  14. nail — for a hammer
  15. nail — for a hammer
  16. mouse — the animal
  17. fall — to drop
  18. bound — certain
  19. bound — obliged
  20. cell — in biology
  21. fall — to drop
  22. mouse — the animal
  23. fall — the season
  24. cell — a phone

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