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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. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  2. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  3. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  4. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  5. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  6. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  7. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  8. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  9. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  10. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  11. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  12. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  13. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  14. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  15. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  16. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  17. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  18. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  19. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  20. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  21. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  22. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  23. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  24. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.

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

Answer key

  1. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  2. wave — of the sea
  3. tear — from crying
  4. vault — in gymnastics
  5. kid — to tease
  6. wake — to stop sleeping
  7. tear — from crying
  8. wave — a sudden rise
  9. wave — with your hand
  10. present — the time now
  11. wake — before a funeral
  12. racket — for tennis
  13. vault — a safe
  14. racket — for tennis
  15. tear — to rip
  16. vault — an arched ceiling
  17. present — there
  18. present — a gift
  19. bore — gave birth
  20. racket — a loud noise
  21. kid — child
  22. bore — to drill
  23. bore — to tire
  24. wake — a trail

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