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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. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  2. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  3. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  4. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  5. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  6. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  7. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  8. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  9. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  10. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  11. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  12. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  13. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  14. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  15. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  16. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  17. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  18. Where did you ________________ them?
  19. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  20. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  21. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  22. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  23. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  24. He refilled his coffee ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. kid — to tease
  2. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  3. mug — a face
  4. rest — what's left
  5. present — a gift
  6. file — a document
  7. file — a line of people
  8. present — there
  9. file — a tool
  10. racket — for tennis
  11. kid — child
  12. racket — for tennis
  13. ruler — for measuring
  14. present — the time now
  15. rest — a break
  16. rest — what's left
  17. vault — an arched ceiling
  18. mug — to rob
  19. vault — a safe
  20. racket — a loud noise
  21. ruler — a monarch
  22. vault — in gymnastics
  23. ruler — for measuring
  24. mug — a cup

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