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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. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  2. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  3. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  4. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  5. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  6. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  7. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  8. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  9. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  10. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  11. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  12. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  13. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  14. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  15. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  16. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  17. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  18. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  19. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  20. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  21. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  22. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  23. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  24. My father caught me by the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. spring — of water
  2. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  3. object — an aim
  4. kid — to tease
  5. firm — steady
  6. wave — a sudden rise
  7. firm — a company
  8. wave — of the sea
  9. arm — part of the body
  10. spring — the season
  11. tear — from crying
  12. kid — child
  13. tear — to rip
  14. arm — a part of something
  15. deal — to handle
  16. firm — decided
  17. wave — with your hand
  18. deal — an agreement
  19. spring — a coil
  20. tear — from crying
  21. object — to protest
  22. deal — a big deal
  23. object — a thing
  24. arm — part of the body

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