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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. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  2. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  3. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  4. The King held a masked ________________.
  5. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  6. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  7. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  8. I can't ________________ this cold.
  9. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  10. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  11. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  12. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  13. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  14. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  15. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  16. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  17. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  18. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  19. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  20. The tickets are free of ________________.
  21. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  22. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  23. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  24. We ________________ up on opposing sides.

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

Answer key

  1. kid — to tease
  2. ball — a round shape
  3. wound — an injury
  4. ball — a dance
  5. bore — to tire
  6. stand — on your feet
  7. bore — to drill
  8. stand — to bear
  9. wave — of the sea
  10. stand — for spectators
  11. charge — in control
  12. wave — a sudden rise
  13. wave — with your hand
  14. charge — electricity
  15. bore — gave birth
  16. craft — boats
  17. ball — a great time
  18. kid — child
  19. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  20. charge — a price
  21. craft — a handicraft
  22. wound — an injury
  23. craft — a skill
  24. wound — past of 'wind'

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