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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. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  2. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  3. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  4. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  5. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  6. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  7. The ________________ went through the wall.
  8. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  9. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  10. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  11. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  12. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  13. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  14. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  15. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  16. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  17. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  18. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  19. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  20. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  21. Did you ________________ the meat?
  22. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  23. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  24. That must've been a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — on a finger
  2. kid — to tease
  3. kick — with a leg
  4. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  5. season — in sport
  6. mine — belonging to me
  7. nail — for a hammer
  8. safe — out of danger
  9. mine — an explosive
  10. kick — a thrill
  11. safe — a strongbox
  12. bear — the animal
  13. bear — to put up with
  14. rush — hurry
  15. season — of the year
  16. nail — for a hammer
  17. safe — out of danger
  18. rush — to hurry
  19. kick — in football
  20. mine — for digging
  21. season — to add flavour
  22. bear — the animal
  23. kid — child
  24. rush — a thrill

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