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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. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  2. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  3. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  4. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  5. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  6. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  7. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  8. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  9. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  10. I've got to change the light ________________.
  11. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  12. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  13. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  14. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  15. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  16. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  17. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  18. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  19. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  20. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  21. The light ________________ burned out.
  22. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  23. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  24. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — in cards
  2. hide — to keep secret
  3. hide — to keep secret
  4. jam — in traffic
  5. staff — a stick
  6. bore — gave birth
  7. bore — to tire
  8. capital — money
  9. fall — the season
  10. bulb — for light
  11. jam — to spread on bread
  12. fall — to drop
  13. staff — employees
  14. staff — employees
  15. capital — a city
  16. hand — part of the body
  17. bulb — of a plant
  18. capital — a big letter
  19. hide — animal skin
  20. fall — to drop
  21. bulb — for light
  22. jam — a tight spot
  23. hand — help
  24. bore — to drill

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