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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. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  3. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  4. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  5. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  6. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  7. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  8. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  9. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  10. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  11. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  12. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  13. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  14. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  15. He was locked up in a ________________.
  16. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  17. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  18. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  19. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  20. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  21. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  22. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  23. The King held a masked ________________.
  24. The people resisted their cruel ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  2. capital — money
  3. kid — to tease
  4. patient — a sick person
  5. bear — the animal
  6. lash — a whip stroke
  7. bear — the animal
  8. lash — to lash out
  9. ruler — for measuring
  10. cell — in biology
  11. kid — child
  12. bear — to put up with
  13. lash — an eyelash
  14. patient — calm and waiting
  15. cell — in a prison
  16. capital — a city
  17. ball — a great time
  18. capital — a big letter
  19. ball — a round shape
  20. patient — a sick person
  21. ruler — for measuring
  22. cell — a phone
  23. ball — a dance
  24. ruler — a monarch

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