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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 116 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.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
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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. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  2. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  3. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  4. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  5. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  6. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  7. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  8. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  9. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  10. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  11. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  12. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  13. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  14. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  15. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  16. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  17. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  18. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  19. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  20. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  21. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  22. It's one o'clock ________________.
  23. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  24. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.

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

Answer key

  1. kid — to tease
  2. chair — to sit on
  3. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  4. mouse — for a computer
  5. mouse — the animal
  6. mouse — the animal
  7. bowl — to roll
  8. wake — to stop sleeping
  9. bowl — a football final
  10. wake — a trail
  11. wake — before a funeral
  12. safe — out of danger
  13. kid — child
  14. chair — a professorship
  15. sharp — clever
  16. chair — a leader
  17. bowl — a dish
  18. sharp — with an edge
  19. safe — a strongbox
  20. tear — from crying
  21. tear — to rip
  22. sharp — exactly
  23. tear — from crying
  24. safe — out of danger

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