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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. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  3. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  4. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  5. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  6. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  7. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  8. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  9. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  10. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  11. The ________________ market has crashed.
  12. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  13. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  14. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  15. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  16. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  17. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  18. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  19. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  20. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  21. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  22. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  23. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  24. A ________________ is just a dried plum.

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

Answer key

  1. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  2. rule — a law
  3. lie — an untruth
  4. stem — to come from
  5. racket — for tennis
  6. kid — child
  7. kid — to tease
  8. safe — out of danger
  9. stem — of a plant
  10. racket — a loud noise
  11. stock — shares
  12. safe — a strongbox
  13. stock — a soup base
  14. lie — to recline
  15. rule — government
  16. stock — goods
  17. prune — to trim
  18. rule — to rule out
  19. racket — for tennis
  20. prune — to trim
  21. stem — a stem cell
  22. safe — out of danger
  23. lie — an untruth
  24. prune — the fruit

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