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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. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  2. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  3. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  4. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  5. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  6. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  7. This piece is in a major ________________.
  8. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  9. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  10. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  11. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  12. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  13. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  14. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  15. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  16. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  17. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  18. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  19. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  20. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  21. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  22. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  23. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  24. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?

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

Answer key

  1. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  2. clip — a video
  3. kick — with a leg
  4. deal — an agreement
  5. bore — gave birth
  6. kick — in football
  7. key — in music
  8. rest — what's left
  9. file — a document
  10. rest — what's left
  11. kid — to tease
  12. bore — to drill
  13. file — a tool
  14. clip — for paper
  15. clip — to cut
  16. key — the most important part
  17. file — a line of people
  18. deal — to handle
  19. key — for a lock
  20. kid — child
  21. rest — a break
  22. deal — a big deal
  23. kick — a thrill
  24. bore — to tire

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