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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. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  2. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  3. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  4. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  5. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  6. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  7. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  8. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  9. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  10. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  11. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  12. The King held a masked ________________.
  13. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  14. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  15. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  16. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  17. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  18. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  19. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  20. It's one o'clock ________________.
  21. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  22. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  23. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  24. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.

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

Answer key

  1. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  2. sharp — clever
  3. rule — to rule out
  4. ball — a round shape
  5. hide — to keep secret
  6. kid — to tease
  7. hide — to keep secret
  8. fine — all right
  9. ball — a great time
  10. hide — animal skin
  11. sharp — with an edge
  12. ball — a dance
  13. rule — government
  14. calf — a young animal
  15. calf — of the leg
  16. spring — a coil
  17. spring — of water
  18. calf — a young animal
  19. fine — high quality
  20. sharp — exactly
  21. fine — a penalty
  22. kid — child
  23. spring — the season
  24. rule — a law

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