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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. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  2. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  3. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  4. What do you think of the new ________________?
  5. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  6. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  7. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  8. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  9. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  10. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  11. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  12. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  13. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  14. Did you ________________ the meat?
  15. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  16. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  17. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  18. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  19. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  20. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  21. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  22. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  23. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  24. Spring is a pleasant ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — out of danger
  2. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  3. mark — a grade
  4. cabinet — ministers
  5. mark — to pay attention
  6. safe — a strongbox
  7. mouse — the animal
  8. mark — a trace
  9. face — to point toward
  10. season — in sport
  11. wind — to turn a key
  12. cabinet — a cupboard
  13. face — to confront
  14. season — to add flavour
  15. safe — out of danger
  16. mouse — the animal
  17. mouse — for a computer
  18. kid — child
  19. wind — moving air
  20. kid — to tease
  21. face — part of the head
  22. wind — moving air
  23. cabinet — ministers
  24. season — of the year

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