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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. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  2. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  3. I can't ________________ this cold.
  4. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  5. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  6. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  7. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  8. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  9. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  10. My father caught me by the ________________.
  11. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  12. Have you settled on a ________________?
  13. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  14. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  15. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  16. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  17. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  18. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  19. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  20. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  21. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  22. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  23. We're on a ________________ here.
  24. Is it ________________ for us to be here?

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

Answer key

  1. stand — on your feet
  2. date — the fruit
  3. stand — to bear
  4. bore — to tire
  5. kid — to tease
  6. kid — child
  7. roll — a list
  8. stand — for spectators
  9. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  10. arm — part of the body
  11. safe — out of danger
  12. date — on the calendar
  13. rest — what's left
  14. bore — gave birth
  15. safe — a strongbox
  16. rest — what's left
  17. rest — a break
  18. roll — a cake
  19. bore — to drill
  20. arm — part of the body
  21. arm — a part of something
  22. date — on the calendar
  23. roll — on a roll
  24. safe — out of danger

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