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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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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: spell · cap · hand · kick · firm · jam · present · kid

  1. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  2. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  3. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  4. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  5. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  6. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  7. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  8. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  9. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  10. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  11. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  12. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  13. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  14. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  15. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  16. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  17. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  18. How do you ________________ your surname?
  19. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  20. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  21. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  22. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  23. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  24. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. present — there
  2. hand — help
  3. spell — a short time
  4. firm — a company
  5. cap — of ice
  6. firm — steady
  7. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  8. hand — in cards
  9. present — the time now
  10. cap — a hat
  11. kid — to tease
  12. kick — a thrill
  13. cap — a lid
  14. kid — child
  15. present — a gift
  16. spell — magic
  17. firm — decided
  18. spell — letters
  19. jam — in traffic
  20. jam — to spread on bread
  21. jam — a tight spot
  22. kick — with a leg
  23. kick — in football
  24. hand — part of the body

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