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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. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  2. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  3. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  4. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  5. The ________________ market has crashed.
  6. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  7. He was locked up in a ________________.
  8. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  9. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  10. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  11. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  12. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  13. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  14. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  15. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  16. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  17. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  18. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  19. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  20. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  21. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  22. Did you ________________ the meat?
  23. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  24. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!

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

Answer key

  1. kid — child
  2. kid — to tease
  3. bore — to tire
  4. cell — in biology
  5. stock — shares
  6. vault — in gymnastics
  7. cell — in a prison
  8. hide — to keep secret
  9. bore — to drill
  10. stock — goods
  11. cue — for pool
  12. stock — a soup base
  13. hide — animal skin
  14. hide — to keep secret
  15. vault — an arched ceiling
  16. season — of the year
  17. cue — a hint
  18. season — in sport
  19. cue — a signal
  20. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  21. bore — gave birth
  22. season — to add flavour
  23. vault — a safe
  24. cell — a phone

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