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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. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  2. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  3. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  4. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  5. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  6. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  7. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  8. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  9. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  10. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  11. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  12. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  13. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  14. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  15. My father caught me by the ________________.
  16. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  17. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  18. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  19. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  20. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  21. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  22. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  23. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  24. Would you like some apricot ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. bore — gave birth
  2. bore — to drill
  3. arm — part of the body
  4. chest — a box
  5. kid — child
  6. kid — to tease
  7. lean — to rest against
  8. bore — to tire
  9. wave — with your hand
  10. arm — a part of something
  11. jam — in traffic
  12. ruler — a monarch
  13. lean — thin
  14. ruler — for measuring
  15. arm — part of the body
  16. wave — of the sea
  17. ruler — for measuring
  18. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  19. wave — a sudden rise
  20. chest — of your body
  21. lean — to bend
  22. chest — of your body
  23. jam — a tight spot
  24. jam — to spread on bread

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