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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. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  2. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  3. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  4. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  5. That was a fun ________________.
  6. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  7. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  8. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  9. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  10. It's one o'clock ________________.
  11. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  12. What do you think of the new ________________?
  13. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  14. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  15. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  16. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  17. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  18. When are we going to ________________?
  19. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  20. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  21. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  22. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  23. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  24. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — gave birth
  2. game — wild animals
  3. game — a kind of play
  4. bore — to drill
  5. game — a match
  6. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. cabinet — a cupboard
  9. pound — to hit hard
  10. sharp — exactly
  11. pound — for dogs
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. lash — to lash out
  14. sharp — with an edge
  15. bore — to tire
  16. land — ground
  17. kid — to tease
  18. land — to come down
  19. sharp — clever
  20. pound — a weight
  21. lash — a whip stroke
  22. lash — an eyelash
  23. kid — child
  24. land — a country

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