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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. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  3. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  4. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  5. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  6. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  7. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  8. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  9. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  10. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  11. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  12. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  13. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  14. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  15. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  16. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  17. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  18. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  19. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  20. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  21. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  22. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  23. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  24. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  2. ruler — for measuring
  3. wind — moving air
  4. rock — a stone
  5. ruler — for measuring
  6. bear — to put up with
  7. rock — music
  8. ruler — a monarch
  9. branch — of a tree
  10. bore — to tire
  11. wind — to turn a key
  12. hand — help
  13. wind — moving air
  14. bear — the animal
  15. branch — a division
  16. rock — to move gently
  17. branch — of a bank
  18. hand — part of the body
  19. kid — to tease
  20. bear — the animal
  21. bore — to drill
  22. hand — in cards
  23. bore — gave birth
  24. kid — child

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