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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. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  2. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  3. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  4. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  5. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  6. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  7. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  8. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  9. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  10. That must've been a ________________.
  11. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  12. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  13. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  14. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  15. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  16. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  17. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  18. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  19. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  20. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  21. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  22. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  23. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  24. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.

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

Answer key

  1. can — to be able to
  2. fork — to eat with
  3. can — a tin
  4. prune — to trim
  5. kid — to tease
  6. bore — gave birth
  7. kid — child
  8. straw — to clutch at straws
  9. straw — a straw man
  10. rush — a thrill
  11. fork — in a road
  12. prune — the fruit
  13. fork — a garden tool
  14. pass — a permit
  15. pass — to spend time
  16. bore — to drill
  17. straw — dry grass
  18. pass — to succeed
  19. bore — to tire
  20. rush — to hurry
  21. rush — hurry
  22. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  23. can — a tin
  24. prune — to trim

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