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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. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  2. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  3. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  4. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  5. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  6. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  7. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  8. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  9. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  10. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  11. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  12. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  13. When will it ________________ you to start?
  14. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  15. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  16. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  17. I'll be taking the ________________.
  18. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  19. False peace will not ________________.
  20. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  21. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  22. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  23. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  24. I'll take my ________________ from you.

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

Answer key

  1. last — finally
  2. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  3. last — final
  4. kid — child
  5. kid — to tease
  6. tube — a container
  7. fine — all right
  8. hand — help
  9. cue — a signal
  10. hand — part of the body
  11. deal — an agreement
  12. deal — a big deal
  13. suit — to fit
  14. hand — in cards
  15. cue — for pool
  16. deal — to handle
  17. tube — the underground
  18. fine — a penalty
  19. last — to go on
  20. suit — in cards
  21. tube — in a tire
  22. fine — high quality
  23. suit — clothes
  24. cue — a hint

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