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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. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  3. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  4. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  5. When will it ________________ you to start?
  6. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  7. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  8. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  9. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  10. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  11. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  12. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  13. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  14. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  15. The ________________ took off on time.
  16. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  17. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  18. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  19. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  20. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  21. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  22. Did you ________________ the button?
  23. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  24. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.

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

Answer key

  1. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  2. rest — what's left
  3. press — newspapers
  4. rest — what's left
  5. suit — to fit
  6. wound — an injury
  7. can — to be able to
  8. wound — an injury
  9. plane — in geometry
  10. can — a tin
  11. kid — to tease
  12. suit — clothes
  13. can — a tin
  14. pound — for dogs
  15. plane — an aircraft
  16. pound — a weight
  17. wound — past of 'wind'
  18. pound — to hit hard
  19. suit — in cards
  20. rest — a break
  21. kid — child
  22. press — to push
  23. plane — a tool
  24. press — a publisher

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