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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 120 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. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  2. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  3. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  4. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  5. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  6. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  7. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  8. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  9. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  10. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  11. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  12. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  13. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  14. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  15. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  16. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  17. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  18. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  19. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  20. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  21. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  22. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  23. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  24. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.

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

Answer key

  1. kid — child
  2. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  3. row — a line
  4. stick — to attach or keep to
  5. wave — of the sea
  6. fine — high quality
  7. rest — what's left
  8. row — a quarrel
  9. fan — a supporter
  10. rest — a break
  11. chest — a box
  12. fine — a penalty
  13. fan — to cool the air
  14. kid — to tease
  15. row — to paddle
  16. fine — all right
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. wave — a sudden rise
  19. chest — of your body
  20. chest — of your body
  21. fan — a supporter
  22. wave — with your hand
  23. stick — a piece of wood
  24. rest — what's left

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