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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. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  2. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  3. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  4. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  5. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  6. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  7. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  8. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  9. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  10. The King held a masked ________________.
  11. Have you met the new head ________________?
  12. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  13. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  14. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  15. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  16. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  17. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  18. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  19. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  20. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  21. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  22. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  23. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  24. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.

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

Answer key

  1. band — a ring
  2. kick — a thrill
  3. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  4. band — a music group
  5. wave — of the sea
  6. coach — pulled by horses
  7. firm — decided
  8. object — a thing
  9. kid — child
  10. ball — a dance
  11. coach — a trainer
  12. wave — with your hand
  13. ball — a great time
  14. firm — a company
  15. object — an aim
  16. band — a rubber band
  17. kick — in football
  18. ball — a round shape
  19. object — to protest
  20. firm — steady
  21. kid — to tease
  22. coach — a trainer
  23. wave — a sudden rise
  24. kick — with a leg

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