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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. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  2. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  3. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  4. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  5. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  6. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  7. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  8. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  9. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  10. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  11. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  12. This piece is in a major ________________.
  13. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  14. Where did you ________________ them?
  15. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  16. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  17. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  18. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  19. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  20. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  21. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  22. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  23. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  24. I play ________________ in a jazz band.

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

Answer key

  1. wound — past of 'wind'
  2. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  3. kid — to tease
  4. mug — a cup
  5. key — the most important part
  6. bore — to drill
  7. kid — child
  8. wound — an injury
  9. bass — low music
  10. mug — a face
  11. track — to keep track
  12. key — in music
  13. track — a song
  14. mug — to rob
  15. bass — the fish
  16. current — happening now
  17. bore — gave birth
  18. current — of water
  19. key — for a lock
  20. track — a path
  21. current — electric
  22. bore — to tire
  23. wound — an injury
  24. bass — the instrument

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