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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.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: kid · bear · ball · rule · can · sharp · present · lash

  1. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  2. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  3. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  4. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  5. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  6. It's one o'clock ________________.
  7. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  8. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  9. The King held a masked ________________.
  10. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  11. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  12. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  13. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  14. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  15. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  16. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  17. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  18. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  19. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  20. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  21. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  22. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  23. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  24. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rule — government
  2. kid — child
  3. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  4. lash — a whip stroke
  5. can — a tin
  6. sharp — exactly
  7. sharp — with an edge
  8. bear — to put up with
  9. ball — a dance
  10. present — there
  11. lash — an eyelash
  12. ball — a round shape
  13. bear — the animal
  14. can — to be able to
  15. rule — a law
  16. rule — to rule out
  17. kid — to tease
  18. present — a gift
  19. ball — a great time
  20. can — a tin
  21. lash — to lash out
  22. present — the time now
  23. sharp — clever
  24. bear — the animal

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