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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 124 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. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  3. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  4. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  5. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  6. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  7. The tickets are free of ________________.
  8. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  9. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  10. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  11. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  12. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  13. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  14. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  15. How do you ________________ your surname?
  16. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  17. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  18. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  19. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  20. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  21. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  22. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  23. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  24. We were using a ________________ as a seat.

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

Answer key

  1. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  2. kid — child
  3. safe — out of danger
  4. foot — a measure
  5. safe — a strongbox
  6. tear — from crying
  7. charge — a price
  8. charge — electricity
  9. safe — out of danger
  10. charge — in control
  11. tear — from crying
  12. ruler — for measuring
  13. rock — to move gently
  14. spell — a short time
  15. spell — letters
  16. foot — part of the body
  17. foot — the bottom
  18. spell — magic
  19. kid — to tease
  20. rock — music
  21. ruler — a monarch
  22. tear — to rip
  23. ruler — for measuring
  24. rock — a stone

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