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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. When will it ________________ you to start?
  2. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  3. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  4. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  5. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  6. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  7. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  8. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  9. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  10. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  11. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  12. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  13. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  14. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  15. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  16. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  17. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  18. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  19. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  20. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  21. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  22. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  23. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  24. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — to fit
  2. kid — child
  3. stick — a piece of wood
  4. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  5. kid — to tease
  6. chair — to sit on
  7. hand — in cards
  8. stick — to attach or keep to
  9. fan — to cool the air
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. suit — clothes
  12. chair — a leader
  13. fan — a supporter
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. chair — a professorship
  16. suit — in cards
  17. bore — to tire
  18. bore — gave birth
  19. perch — for a bird
  20. perch — the fish
  21. hand — help
  22. perch — for a bird
  23. bore — to drill
  24. hand — part of the body

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