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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. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  2. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  3. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  4. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  5. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  6. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  7. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  8. Don't do anything ________________.
  9. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  10. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  11. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  12. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  13. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  14. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  15. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  16. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  17. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  18. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  19. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  20. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  21. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  22. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  23. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  24. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — on the skin
  2. pit — a hole
  3. fine — high quality
  4. present — the time now
  5. hide — to keep secret
  6. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  7. hide — to keep secret
  8. rash — hasty
  9. present — there
  10. present — a gift
  11. rest — what's left
  12. fan — to cool the air
  13. kid — child
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. hide — animal skin
  16. kid — to tease
  17. pit — in a race
  18. rest — what's left
  19. pit — a fruit stone
  20. fan — a supporter
  21. fine — all right
  22. rash — a series
  23. rest — a break
  24. fine — a penalty

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