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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. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  2. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  3. The King held a masked ________________.
  4. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  5. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  6. It's one o'clock ________________.
  7. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  8. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  9. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  10. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  11. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  12. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  13. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  14. We're almost out of ________________.
  15. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  16. You don't need to ________________ round.
  17. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  18. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  19. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  20. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  21. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  22. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  23. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  24. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.

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

Answer key

  1. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  2. bore — gave birth
  3. ball — a dance
  4. ball — a great time
  5. sharp — with an edge
  6. sharp — exactly
  7. snap — to speak sharply
  8. kid — to tease
  9. pop — music
  10. sharp — clever
  11. bore — to tire
  12. leaves — to go away
  13. fine — high quality
  14. pop — soda
  15. bore — to drill
  16. pop — to visit
  17. snap — to click
  18. fine — all right
  19. leaves — of a tree
  20. snap — to snap out of it
  21. leaves — lets stay
  22. ball — a round shape
  23. kid — child
  24. fine — a penalty

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