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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. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  3. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  4. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  5. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  6. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  7. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  8. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  9. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  10. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  11. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  12. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  13. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  14. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  15. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  16. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  17. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  18. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  19. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  20. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  21. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  22. The ball is in your ________________.
  23. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  24. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.

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

Answer key

  1. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  2. squash — to crush
  3. pound — for dogs
  4. band — a music group
  5. band — a ring
  6. pass — to spend time
  7. court — of law
  8. hide — to keep secret
  9. squash — the sport
  10. wake — to stop sleeping
  11. kid — to tease
  12. band — a rubber band
  13. wake — before a funeral
  14. kid — child
  15. pass — to succeed
  16. wake — a trail
  17. pass — a permit
  18. hide — to keep secret
  19. pound — to hit hard
  20. pound — a weight
  21. hide — animal skin
  22. court — for sport
  23. squash — the vegetable
  24. court — of a king

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