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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. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  3. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  4. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  5. The ________________ went through the wall.
  6. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  7. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  8. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  9. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  10. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  11. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  12. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  13. He is an ace ________________.
  14. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  15. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  16. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  17. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  18. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  19. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  20. That must've been a ________________.
  21. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  22. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  23. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  24. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.

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

Answer key

  1. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  2. nail — on a finger
  3. fall — to drop
  4. rush — to hurry
  5. nail — for a hammer
  6. kid — child
  7. kick — a thrill
  8. rush — hurry
  9. kick — with a leg
  10. pitcher — a jug
  11. craft — a handicraft
  12. craft — a skill
  13. pitcher — in baseball
  14. nail — for a hammer
  15. current — of water
  16. kid — to tease
  17. fall — the season
  18. pitcher — a jug
  19. current — electric
  20. rush — a thrill
  21. craft — boats
  22. kick — in football
  23. current — happening now
  24. fall — to drop

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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