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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. He is an ace ________________.
  2. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  3. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  4. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  5. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  6. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  7. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  8. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  9. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  10. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  11. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  12. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  13. Did you ________________ the meat?
  14. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  15. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  16. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  17. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  18. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  19. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  20. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  21. My father caught me by the ________________.
  22. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  23. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  24. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — in baseball
  2. pitcher — a jug
  3. staff — employees
  4. leaves — to go away
  5. staff — a stick
  6. leaves — of a tree
  7. hand — part of the body
  8. bore — to drill
  9. leaves — lets stay
  10. hand — help
  11. kid — child
  12. bore — to tire
  13. season — to add flavour
  14. staff — employees
  15. arm — a part of something
  16. hand — in cards
  17. pitcher — a jug
  18. season — of the year
  19. arm — part of the body
  20. season — in sport
  21. arm — part of the body
  22. bore — gave birth
  23. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  24. kid — to tease

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