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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. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  2. The light ________________ burned out.
  3. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  4. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  5. Have you found your soul ________________?
  6. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  7. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  8. This piece is in a major ________________.
  9. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  10. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  11. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  12. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  13. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  14. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  15. I've got to change the light ________________.
  16. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  17. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  18. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  19. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  20. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  21. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  22. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  23. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  24. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.

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

Answer key

  1. mate — to breed
  2. bulb — for light
  3. kid — to tease
  4. snap — to snap out of it
  5. mate — a partner
  6. kid — child
  7. key — the most important part
  8. key — in music
  9. key — for a lock
  10. deal — to handle
  11. bore — gave birth
  12. deal — an agreement
  13. current — of water
  14. bore — to tire
  15. bulb — for light
  16. snap — to speak sharply
  17. current — happening now
  18. snap — to click
  19. mate — a friend
  20. deal — a big deal
  21. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  22. bore — to drill
  23. current — electric
  24. bulb — of a plant

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