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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. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  2. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  3. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  4. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  5. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  6. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  7. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  8. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  9. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  10. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  11. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  12. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  13. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  14. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  15. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  16. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  17. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  18. False peace will not ________________.
  19. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  20. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  21. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  22. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  23. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  24. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  2. chair — a professorship
  3. cue — a hint
  4. deal — to handle
  5. cue — a signal
  6. deal — an agreement
  7. last — final
  8. patient — calm and waiting
  9. kid — to tease
  10. last — finally
  11. fan — a supporter
  12. bank — for money
  13. chair — to sit on
  14. cue — for pool
  15. patient — a sick person
  16. fan — to cool the air
  17. chair — a leader
  18. last — to go on
  19. deal — a big deal
  20. patient — a sick person
  21. fan — a supporter
  22. bank — of a river
  23. bank — for money
  24. kid — child

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