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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.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
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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 smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  3. I can't ________________ this cold.
  4. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  5. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  6. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  7. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  8. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  9. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  10. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  11. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  12. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  13. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  14. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  15. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  16. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  17. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  18. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  19. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  20. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  21. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  22. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  23. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  24. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  2. stand — for spectators
  3. stand — to bear
  4. bowl — a dish
  5. bowl — to roll
  6. stick — a piece of wood
  7. stand — on your feet
  8. chest — of your body
  9. stick — a piece of wood
  10. chest — of your body
  11. can — a tin
  12. lie — an untruth
  13. can — a tin
  14. kid — to tease
  15. pass — to succeed
  16. can — to be able to
  17. pass — to spend time
  18. lie — an untruth
  19. bowl — a football final
  20. pass — a permit
  21. lie — to recline
  22. stick — to attach or keep to
  23. chest — a box
  24. kid — child

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