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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. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  3. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  4. How do you ________________ your surname?
  5. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  6. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  7. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  8. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  9. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  10. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  11. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  12. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  13. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  14. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  15. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  16. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  17. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  18. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  19. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  20. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  21. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  22. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  23. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  24. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.

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

Answer key

  1. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  2. deal — a big deal
  3. kid — child
  4. spell — letters
  5. mouse — the animal
  6. pass — to spend time
  7. wake — a trail
  8. lie — an untruth
  9. mouse — for a computer
  10. deal — to handle
  11. kid — to tease
  12. spell — magic
  13. deal — an agreement
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. pass — to succeed
  16. shower — a meteor shower
  17. wake — before a funeral
  18. shower — to wash
  19. shower — rain
  20. lie — to recline
  21. wake — to stop sleeping
  22. pass — a permit
  23. spell — a short time
  24. mouse — the animal

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