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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. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  2. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  3. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  4. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  5. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  6. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  7. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  8. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  9. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  10. This piece is in a major ________________.
  11. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  12. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  13. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  14. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  15. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  16. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  17. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  18. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  19. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  20. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  21. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  22. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  23. The King held a masked ________________.
  24. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a great time
  2. kid — child
  3. bore — to tire
  4. key — the most important part
  5. bore — to drill
  6. rule — to rule out
  7. foot — part of the body
  8. chair — a professorship
  9. lie — to recline
  10. key — in music
  11. lie — an untruth
  12. ball — a round shape
  13. foot — the bottom
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. key — for a lock
  16. rule — a law
  17. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  18. rule — government
  19. foot — a measure
  20. bore — gave birth
  21. chair — a leader
  22. chair — to sit on
  23. ball — a dance
  24. kid — to tease

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