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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. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  2. When are we going to ________________?
  3. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  4. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  5. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  6. Have you settled on a ________________?
  7. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  8. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  9. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  10. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  11. The light ________________ burned out.
  12. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  13. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  14. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  15. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  16. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  17. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  18. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  19. Have you met the new head ________________?
  20. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  21. I've got to change the light ________________.
  22. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  23. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  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. land — to come down
  3. lie — an untruth
  4. bore — to drill
  5. coach — a trainer
  6. date — on the calendar
  7. date — the fruit
  8. date — on the calendar
  9. kid — to tease
  10. snap — to click
  11. bulb — for light
  12. land — a country
  13. bore — gave birth
  14. snap — to speak sharply
  15. snap — to snap out of it
  16. lie — to recline
  17. lie — an untruth
  18. bulb — of a plant
  19. coach — a trainer
  20. bore — to tire
  21. bulb — for light
  22. land — ground
  23. coach — pulled by horses
  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