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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 124 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. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  3. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  4. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  5. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  6. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  7. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  8. The tickets are free of ________________.
  9. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  10. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  11. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  12. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  13. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  14. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  15. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  16. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  17. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  18. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  19. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  20. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  21. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  22. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  23. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  24. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.

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

Answer key

  1. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  2. charge — in control
  3. stick — a piece of wood
  4. mine — for digging
  5. charge — electricity
  6. rule — to rule out
  7. mine — an explosive
  8. charge — a price
  9. stick — a piece of wood
  10. wound — an injury
  11. kid — child
  12. wound — an injury
  13. face — part of the head
  14. rule — government
  15. pit — a hole
  16. wound — past of 'wind'
  17. rule — a law
  18. stick — to attach or keep to
  19. pit — a fruit stone
  20. face — to point toward
  21. pit — in a race
  22. face — to confront
  23. kid — to tease
  24. mine — belonging to me

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