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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. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  3. That was ________________ to happen.
  4. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  5. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  6. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  7. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  8. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  9. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  10. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  11. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  12. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  13. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  14. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  15. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  16. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  17. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  18. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  19. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  20. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  21. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  22. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  23. The ________________ took off on time.
  24. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.

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

Answer key

  1. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  2. bound — tied together
  3. bound — certain
  4. hide — animal skin
  5. club — a group
  6. kid — to tease
  7. kid — child
  8. fork — in a road
  9. kick — in football
  10. plane — in geometry
  11. rest — a break
  12. rest — what's left
  13. hide — to keep secret
  14. hide — to keep secret
  15. fork — to eat with
  16. kick — a thrill
  17. club — for dancing
  18. fork — a garden tool
  19. club — for golf
  20. kick — with a leg
  21. plane — a tool
  22. bound — obliged
  23. plane — an aircraft
  24. rest — what's left

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