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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. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  2. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  3. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  4. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  5. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  6. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  7. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  8. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  9. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  10. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  11. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  12. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  13. The tickets are free of ________________.
  14. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  15. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  16. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  17. That was ________________ to happen.
  18. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  19. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  20. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  21. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  22. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  23. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  24. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.

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

Answer key

  1. bat — in an idiom
  2. mark — a grade
  3. racket — for tennis
  4. bore — gave birth
  5. bat — the animal
  6. racket — a loud noise
  7. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  8. mark — to pay attention
  9. racket — for tennis
  10. kid — to tease
  11. bore — to drill
  12. charge — electricity
  13. charge — a price
  14. kid — child
  15. charge — in control
  16. bore — to tire
  17. bound — certain
  18. mark — a trace
  19. shower — rain
  20. bat — for baseball
  21. shower — a meteor shower
  22. shower — to wash
  23. bound — obliged
  24. bound — tied together

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