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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. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  2. When will it ________________ you to start?
  3. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  4. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  5. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  6. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  7. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  8. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  9. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  10. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  11. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  12. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  13. That was a fun ________________.
  14. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  15. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  16. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  17. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  18. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  19. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  20. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  21. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  22. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  23. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  24. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.

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

Answer key

  1. kid — child
  2. suit — to fit
  3. bore — gave birth
  4. lean — thin
  5. suit — clothes
  6. bark — to shout
  7. suit — in cards
  8. rock — a stone
  9. bore — to tire
  10. bark — of a tree
  11. rock — music
  12. game — wild animals
  13. game — a match
  14. rock — to move gently
  15. bore — to drill
  16. kid — to tease
  17. lean — to bend
  18. lean — to rest against
  19. board — a flat piece
  20. board — to get on
  21. game — a kind of play
  22. board — a committee
  23. bark — a dog's sound
  24. kid — young goat (kid gloves)

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