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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 124 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 got the top ________________ in the exam.
  2. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  3. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  4. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  5. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  6. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  7. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  8. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  9. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  10. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  11. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  12. That was ________________ to happen.
  13. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  14. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  15. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  16. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  17. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  18. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  19. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  20. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  21. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  22. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  23. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  24. This looks like a gunshot ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — a grade
  2. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  3. kid — child
  4. bound — obliged
  5. chest — a box
  6. chest — of your body
  7. wound — past of 'wind'
  8. deal — a big deal
  9. can — to be able to
  10. can — a tin
  11. mark — to pay attention
  12. bound — certain
  13. kid — to tease
  14. can — a tin
  15. wound — an injury
  16. mark — a trace
  17. trunk — of an elephant
  18. bound — tied together
  19. chest — of your body
  20. trunk — of a tree
  21. deal — to handle
  22. trunk — of a car
  23. deal — an agreement
  24. wound — an injury

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