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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. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  3. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  4. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  5. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  6. The ________________ went through the wall.
  7. She's very handy with a ________________.
  8. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  9. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  10. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  11. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  12. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  13. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  14. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  15. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  16. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  17. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  18. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  19. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  20. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  21. He works in a ________________ mill.
  22. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  23. The tickets are free of ________________.
  24. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.

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

Answer key

  1. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  2. bowl — to roll
  3. hand — help
  4. hand — in cards
  5. safe — out of danger
  6. nail — for a hammer
  7. saw — the tool
  8. kid — to tease
  9. hand — part of the body
  10. nail — for a hammer
  11. safe — a strongbox
  12. club — a group
  13. saw — past of 'see'
  14. charge — in control
  15. safe — out of danger
  16. bowl — a dish
  17. charge — electricity
  18. club — for dancing
  19. bowl — a football final
  20. club — for golf
  21. saw — the tool
  22. kid — child
  23. charge — a price
  24. nail — on a finger

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