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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. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  2. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  3. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  4. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  5. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  6. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  7. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  8. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  9. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  10. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  11. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  12. David sat on the ________________.
  13. He was locked up in a ________________.
  14. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  15. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  16. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  17. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  18. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  19. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  20. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  21. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  22. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  23. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  24. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — to attach or keep to
  2. kid — to tease
  3. content — the amount
  4. bore — to tire
  5. deal — a big deal
  6. swing — music
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. cell — a phone
  9. kid — child
  10. cell — in biology
  11. present — there
  12. swing — to play on
  13. cell — in a prison
  14. deal — to handle
  15. deal — an agreement
  16. bore — gave birth
  17. present — the time now
  18. content — videos and posts
  19. stick — a piece of wood
  20. swing — in golf
  21. bore — to drill
  22. content — happy
  23. present — a gift
  24. kid — young goat (kid gloves)

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