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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 116 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. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  2. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  3. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  4. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  5. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  6. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  7. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  8. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  9. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  10. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  11. Where did you ________________ them?
  12. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  13. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  14. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  15. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  16. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  17. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  18. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  19. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  20. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  21. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  22. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  23. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  24. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — high quality
  2. bore — to tire
  3. track — to keep track
  4. fine — all right
  5. kid — child
  6. mug — a cup
  7. wave — a sudden rise
  8. fine — a penalty
  9. track — a song
  10. mug — a face
  11. mug — to rob
  12. bowl — a dish
  13. bore — to drill
  14. wave — with your hand
  15. wave — of the sea
  16. bowl — a football final
  17. kid — to tease
  18. rule — government
  19. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  20. bore — gave birth
  21. rule — a law
  22. track — a path
  23. rule — to rule out
  24. bowl — to roll

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