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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. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  3. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  4. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  5. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  6. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  7. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  8. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  9. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  10. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  11. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  12. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  13. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  14. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  15. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  16. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  17. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  18. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  19. My father caught me by the ________________.
  20. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  21. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  22. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  23. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  24. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.

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

Answer key

  1. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  2. rule — a law
  3. arm — part of the body
  4. kid — child
  5. craft — a handicraft
  6. rock — to move gently
  7. wave — with your hand
  8. craft — boats
  9. wave — of the sea
  10. rock — a stone
  11. hand — help
  12. arm — a part of something
  13. rule — to rule out
  14. rock — music
  15. wave — a sudden rise
  16. chip — to eat
  17. hand — part of the body
  18. chip — in a computer
  19. arm — part of the body
  20. craft — a skill
  21. kid — to tease
  22. hand — in cards
  23. rule — government
  24. chip — for betting

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