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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 120 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. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  2. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  3. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  4. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  5. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  6. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  7. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  8. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  9. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  10. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  11. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  12. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  13. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  14. When are we going to ________________?
  15. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  16. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  17. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  18. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  19. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  20. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  21. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  22. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  23. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  24. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?

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

Answer key

  1. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  2. track — a path
  3. bore — to drill
  4. kid — to tease
  5. staff — a stick
  6. firm — decided
  7. track — to keep track
  8. track — a song
  9. snap — to snap out of it
  10. staff — employees
  11. fine — all right
  12. snap — to speak sharply
  13. land — ground
  14. land — to come down
  15. bore — gave birth
  16. firm — a company
  17. kid — child
  18. fine — high quality
  19. land — a country
  20. snap — to click
  21. staff — employees
  22. fine — a penalty
  23. firm — steady
  24. bore — to tire

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