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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. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  2. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  3. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  4. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  5. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  6. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  7. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  8. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  9. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  10. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  11. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  12. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  13. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  14. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  15. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  16. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  17. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  18. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  19. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  20. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  21. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  22. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  23. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  24. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.

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

Answer key

  1. chair — a professorship
  2. kid — child
  3. wake — before a funeral
  4. hide — animal skin
  5. fine — high quality
  6. wake — a trail
  7. bore — to tire
  8. fine — a penalty
  9. chair — a leader
  10. prune — to trim
  11. prune — the fruit
  12. craft — a skill
  13. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  14. wake — to stop sleeping
  15. prune — to trim
  16. chair — to sit on
  17. fine — all right
  18. craft — boats
  19. kid — to tease
  20. craft — a handicraft
  21. bore — to drill
  22. hide — to keep secret
  23. hide — to keep secret
  24. bore — gave birth

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