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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. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  3. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  4. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  5. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  6. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  7. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  8. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  9. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  10. The tickets are free of ________________.
  11. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  12. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  13. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  14. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  15. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  16. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  17. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  18. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  19. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  20. When will it ________________ you to start?
  21. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  22. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  23. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  24. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  2. row — a quarrel
  3. kid — child
  4. wound — an injury
  5. lean — to bend
  6. suit — clothes
  7. foot — a measure
  8. lean — to rest against
  9. foot — part of the body
  10. charge — a price
  11. vault — a safe
  12. vault — an arched ceiling
  13. wound — past of 'wind'
  14. vault — in gymnastics
  15. wound — an injury
  16. charge — electricity
  17. row — to paddle
  18. kid — to tease
  19. row — a line
  20. suit — to fit
  21. charge — in control
  22. lean — thin
  23. foot — the bottom
  24. suit — in cards

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