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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. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  2. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  3. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  4. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  5. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  6. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  7. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  8. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  9. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  10. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  11. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  12. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  13. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  14. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  15. That must've been a ________________.
  16. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  17. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  18. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  19. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  20. Did you ________________ the button?
  21. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  22. The ________________ market has crashed.
  23. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  24. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.

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

Answer key

  1. kid — child
  2. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  3. stock — a soup base
  4. cue — a signal
  5. cue — a hint
  6. mine — belonging to me
  7. kid — to tease
  8. stock — goods
  9. kick — in football
  10. press — a publisher
  11. rush — to hurry
  12. wave — with your hand
  13. mine — an explosive
  14. wave — a sudden rise
  15. rush — a thrill
  16. press — newspapers
  17. kick — with a leg
  18. wave — of the sea
  19. rush — hurry
  20. press — to push
  21. cue — for pool
  22. stock — shares
  23. mine — for digging
  24. kick — a thrill

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