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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. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  2. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  3. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  4. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  5. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  6. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  7. The light ________________ burned out.
  8. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  9. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  10. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  11. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  12. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  13. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  14. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  15. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  16. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  17. I've got to change the light ________________.
  18. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  19. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  20. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  21. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  22. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  23. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  24. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.

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

Answer key

  1. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  2. rest — what's left
  3. face — part of the head
  4. face — to point toward
  5. branch — of a tree
  6. chair — a leader
  7. bulb — for light
  8. lash — to lash out
  9. kid — child
  10. pitch — a sales talk
  11. chair — a professorship
  12. chair — to sit on
  13. pitch — completely
  14. rest — what's left
  15. pitch — a sports field
  16. lash — an eyelash
  17. bulb — for light
  18. branch — a division
  19. branch — of a bank
  20. lash — a whip stroke
  21. bulb — of a plant
  22. kid — to tease
  23. rest — a break
  24. face — to confront

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