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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.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
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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. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  3. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  4. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  5. When was this ________________ built?
  6. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  7. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  8. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  9. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  10. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  11. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  12. This piece is in a major ________________.
  13. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  14. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  15. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  16. He works in a ________________ mill.
  17. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  18. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  19. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  20. She's very handy with a ________________.
  21. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  22. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  23. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  24. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  2. content — happy
  3. hide — to keep secret
  4. temple — side of the head
  5. temple — a place of worship
  6. kid — to tease
  7. kid — child
  8. ruler — for measuring
  9. content — videos and posts
  10. content — the amount
  11. chair — a professorship
  12. key — in music
  13. chair — a leader
  14. key — the most important part
  15. hide — to keep secret
  16. saw — the tool
  17. ruler — for measuring
  18. saw — past of 'see'
  19. key — for a lock
  20. saw — the tool
  21. ruler — a monarch
  22. hide — animal skin
  23. temple — a place of worship
  24. chair — to sit on

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