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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 120 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. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  2. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  3. That must've been a ________________.
  4. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  5. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  6. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  7. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  8. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  9. The ________________ went through the wall.
  10. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  11. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  12. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  13. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  14. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  15. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  16. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  17. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  18. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  19. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  20. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  21. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  22. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  23. There's no middle ________________.
  24. Take your time. There's no ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — the instrument
  2. ground — crushed
  3. rush — a thrill
  4. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  5. bass — low music
  6. kid — child
  7. bore — to drill
  8. kid — to tease
  9. nail — for a hammer
  10. leaves — lets stay
  11. leaves — to go away
  12. mouse — the animal
  13. nail — for a hammer
  14. bore — to tire
  15. leaves — of a tree
  16. mouse — for a computer
  17. rush — to hurry
  18. nail — on a finger
  19. ground — the earth
  20. mouse — the animal
  21. bore — gave birth
  22. bass — the fish
  23. ground — a position
  24. rush — hurry

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