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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's quite ________________, isn't he?
  2. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  3. Did you ________________ the meat?
  4. It's one o'clock ________________.
  5. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  6. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  7. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  8. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  9. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  10. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  11. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  12. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  13. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  14. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  15. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  16. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  17. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  18. This piece is in a major ________________.
  19. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  20. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  21. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  22. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  23. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  24. We have nothing to ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — clever
  2. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  3. season — to add flavour
  4. sharp — exactly
  5. season — in sport
  6. sharp — with an edge
  7. object — an aim
  8. calf — of the leg
  9. kid — to tease
  10. rest — what's left
  11. hide — animal skin
  12. calf — a young animal
  13. key — for a lock
  14. calf — a young animal
  15. key — the most important part
  16. rest — a break
  17. hide — to keep secret
  18. key — in music
  19. object — to protest
  20. object — a thing
  21. kid — child
  22. season — of the year
  23. rest — what's left
  24. hide — to keep secret

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