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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. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  3. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  4. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  5. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  6. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  7. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  8. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  9. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  10. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  11. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  12. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  13. False peace will not ________________.
  14. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  15. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  16. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  17. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  18. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  19. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  20. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  21. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  22. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  23. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  24. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — gave birth
  2. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  3. last — finally
  4. object — to protest
  5. last — final
  6. kid — child
  7. cue — for pool
  8. lie — an untruth
  9. pound — for dogs
  10. pound — to hit hard
  11. cue — a signal
  12. cue — a hint
  13. last — to go on
  14. object — an aim
  15. pass — to spend time
  16. bore — to drill
  17. pass — a permit
  18. kid — to tease
  19. lie — an untruth
  20. lie — to recline
  21. pound — a weight
  22. object — a thing
  23. bore — to tire
  24. pass — to succeed

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