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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 had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  2. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  3. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  4. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  5. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  6. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  7. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  8. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  9. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  10. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  11. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  12. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  13. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  14. Have you found your soul ________________?
  15. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  16. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  17. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  18. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  19. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  20. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  21. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  22. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  23. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  24. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.

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

Answer key

  1. kid — child
  2. wound — past of 'wind'
  3. wound — an injury
  4. hand — in cards
  5. kid — to tease
  6. rest — what's left
  7. rest — a break
  8. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  9. racket — for tennis
  10. mate — to breed
  11. hand — part of the body
  12. lean — to bend
  13. racket — a loud noise
  14. mate — a partner
  15. lean — to rest against
  16. pass — to spend time
  17. rest — what's left
  18. racket — for tennis
  19. pass — a permit
  20. hand — help
  21. wound — an injury
  22. lean — thin
  23. mate — a friend
  24. pass — to succeed

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