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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. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  3. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  4. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  5. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  6. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  7. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  8. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  9. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  10. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  11. There's no middle ________________.
  12. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  13. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  14. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  15. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  16. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  17. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  18. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  19. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  20. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  21. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  22. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  23. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  24. The nurse administered an injection to 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. patient — calm and waiting
  3. bore — to drill
  4. cue — for pool
  5. bore — gave birth
  6. cue — a hint
  7. cue — a signal
  8. vault — a safe
  9. patient — a sick person
  10. vault — in gymnastics
  11. ground — a position
  12. bat — the animal
  13. kid — to tease
  14. bore — to tire
  15. ground — the earth
  16. vault — an arched ceiling
  17. bat — in an idiom
  18. mouse — the animal
  19. bat — for baseball
  20. kid — child
  21. mouse — for a computer
  22. mouse — the animal
  23. ground — crushed
  24. patient — a sick person

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