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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. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  2. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  3. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  4. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  5. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  6. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  7. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  8. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  9. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  10. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  11. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  12. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  13. When are we going to ________________?
  14. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  15. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  16. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  17. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  18. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  19. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  20. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  21. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  22. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  23. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  24. Recycle the empty soda ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. object — an aim
  2. can — a tin
  3. can — to be able to
  4. object — to protest
  5. kick — in football
  6. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  7. safe — out of danger
  8. kick — with a leg
  9. land — ground
  10. safe — out of danger
  11. kid — to tease
  12. chest — of your body
  13. land — to come down
  14. club — a group
  15. land — a country
  16. safe — a strongbox
  17. object — a thing
  18. kid — child
  19. kick — a thrill
  20. chest — of your body
  21. club — for dancing
  22. club — for golf
  23. chest — a box
  24. can — a tin

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