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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. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  2. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  3. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  4. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  5. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  6. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  7. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  8. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  9. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  10. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  11. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  12. He works in a ________________ mill.
  13. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  14. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  15. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  16. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  17. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  18. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  19. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  20. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  21. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  22. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  23. She's very handy with a ________________.
  24. Have you found your soul ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. bore — to tire
  2. kid — to tease
  3. bore — to drill
  4. cue — for pool
  5. bore — gave birth
  6. scale — size or range
  7. lie — an untruth
  8. scale — for weighing
  9. lie — to recline
  10. lie — an untruth
  11. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  12. saw — the tool
  13. saw — past of 'see'
  14. dip — to dunk
  15. mate — to breed
  16. scale — in music
  17. dip — a sauce
  18. mate — a friend
  19. dip — to sink
  20. kid — child
  21. cue — a hint
  22. cue — a signal
  23. saw — the tool
  24. mate — a partner

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