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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 a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  3. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  4. The water is too ________________.
  5. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  6. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  7. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  8. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  9. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  10. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  11. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  12. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  13. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  14. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  15. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  16. I can't ________________ this cold.
  17. The ________________ market has crashed.
  18. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  19. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  20. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  21. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  22. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  23. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  24. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.

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

Answer key

  1. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  2. cold — an illness
  3. stock — goods
  4. cold — not warm
  5. race — humankind
  6. current — happening now
  7. lash — to lash out
  8. cold — the Cold War
  9. kid — child
  10. lash — an eyelash
  11. stock — a soup base
  12. race — a contest
  13. stand — on your feet
  14. lash — a whip stroke
  15. current — of water
  16. stand — to bear
  17. stock — shares
  18. race — the arms race
  19. deal — to handle
  20. deal — an agreement
  21. current — electric
  22. stand — for spectators
  23. deal — a big deal
  24. kid — to tease

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