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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. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  3. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  4. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  5. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  6. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  7. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  8. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  9. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  10. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  11. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  12. What do you think of the new ________________?
  13. Have you found your soul ________________?
  14. Where did you ________________ them?
  15. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  16. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  17. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  18. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  19. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  20. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  21. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  22. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  23. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  24. He refilled his coffee ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  2. bear — the animal
  3. face — part of the head
  4. bear — to put up with
  5. hand — in cards
  6. cabinet — a cupboard
  7. mate — to breed
  8. cabinet — ministers
  9. bear — the animal
  10. face — to confront
  11. chip — for betting
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. mate — a partner
  14. mug — to rob
  15. chip — in a computer
  16. kid — to tease
  17. hand — help
  18. face — to point toward
  19. hand — part of the body
  20. mate — a friend
  21. mug — a face
  22. kid — child
  23. chip — to eat
  24. mug — a cup

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