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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. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  2. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  3. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  4. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  5. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  6. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  7. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  8. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  9. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  10. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  11. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  12. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  13. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  14. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  15. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  16. My father caught me by the ________________.
  17. That must've been a ________________.
  18. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  19. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  20. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  21. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  22. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  23. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  24. You shouldn't ________________ things.

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

Answer key

  1. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  2. snap — to speak sharply
  3. arm — part of the body
  4. snap — to click
  5. wave — with your hand
  6. chair — a leader
  7. chair — a professorship
  8. snap — to snap out of it
  9. chair — to sit on
  10. kid — child
  11. wave — of the sea
  12. rest — a break
  13. spring — a coil
  14. kid — to tease
  15. rush — hurry
  16. arm — part of the body
  17. rush — a thrill
  18. spring — the season
  19. rest — what's left
  20. arm — a part of something
  21. rest — what's left
  22. wave — a sudden rise
  23. spring — of water
  24. rush — to hurry

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