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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.

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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. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  3. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  4. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  5. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  6. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  7. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  8. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  9. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  10. The King held a masked ________________.
  11. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  12. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  13. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  14. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  15. She's very handy with a ________________.
  16. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  17. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  18. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  19. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  20. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  21. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  22. He works in a ________________ mill.
  23. How do you ________________ your surname?
  24. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  2. ball — a round shape
  3. spell — a short time
  4. kid — to tease
  5. mouse — the animal
  6. mouse — for a computer
  7. saw — past of 'see'
  8. ball — a great time
  9. clip — for paper
  10. ball — a dance
  11. clip — a video
  12. safe — a strongbox
  13. clip — to cut
  14. kid — child
  15. saw — the tool
  16. safe — out of danger
  17. safe — out of danger
  18. bowl — to roll
  19. bowl — a football final
  20. bowl — a dish
  21. mouse — the animal
  22. saw — the tool
  23. spell — letters
  24. spell — magic

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