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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. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  2. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  3. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  4. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  5. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  6. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  7. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  8. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  9. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  10. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  11. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  12. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  13. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  14. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  15. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  16. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  17. How do you ________________ your surname?
  18. That was a fun ________________.
  19. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  20. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  21. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  22. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  23. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  24. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.

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

Answer key

  1. current — happening now
  2. toast — bread
  3. toast — a drink to someone
  4. spell — a short time
  5. drill — the tool
  6. current — of water
  7. safe — a strongbox
  8. safe — out of danger
  9. bore — to drill
  10. bore — gave birth
  11. kid — to tease
  12. spell — magic
  13. current — electric
  14. game — a kind of play
  15. safe — out of danger
  16. drill — a practice
  17. spell — letters
  18. game — a match
  19. toast — the most admired
  20. drill — army training
  21. game — wild animals
  22. bore — to tire
  23. kid — child
  24. kid — young goat (kid gloves)

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