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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. I've got to change the light ________________.
  3. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  4. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  5. The light ________________ burned out.
  6. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  7. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  8. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  9. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  10. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  11. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  12. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  13. I can't ________________ this cold.
  14. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  15. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  16. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  17. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  18. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  19. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  20. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  21. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  22. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  23. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  24. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — to tire
  2. bulb — for light
  3. fall — the season
  4. row — a quarrel
  5. bulb — for light
  6. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  7. fall — to drop
  8. squash — to crush
  9. bore — gave birth
  10. fine — a penalty
  11. fall — to drop
  12. kid — child
  13. stand — to bear
  14. fine — high quality
  15. bulb — of a plant
  16. row — a line
  17. fine — all right
  18. kid — to tease
  19. squash — the sport
  20. row — to paddle
  21. squash — the vegetable
  22. stand — for spectators
  23. bore — to drill
  24. stand — on your feet

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