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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. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  2. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  3. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  4. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  5. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  6. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  7. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  8. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  9. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  10. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  11. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  12. That was ________________ to happen.
  13. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  14. That must've been a ________________.
  15. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  16. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  17. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  18. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  19. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  20. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  21. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  22. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  23. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  24. ________________ you help me carry this box?

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

Answer key

  1. rush — to hurry
  2. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  3. rule — government
  4. bass — the fish
  5. chair — a professorship
  6. bass — the instrument
  7. rule — to rule out
  8. bound — tied together
  9. rule — a law
  10. bear — the animal
  11. bound — obliged
  12. bound — certain
  13. kid — child
  14. rush — a thrill
  15. kid — to tease
  16. chair — to sit on
  17. can — a tin
  18. can — a tin
  19. bear — the animal
  20. bass — low music
  21. bear — to put up with
  22. rush — hurry
  23. chair — a leader
  24. can — to be able to

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