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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. She's very handy with a ________________.
  2. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  3. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  4. He works in a ________________ mill.
  5. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  6. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  7. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  8. The ________________ took off on time.
  9. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  10. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  11. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  12. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  13. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  14. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  15. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  16. He was locked up in a ________________.
  17. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  18. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  19. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  20. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  21. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  22. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  23. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  24. The old man leaned on his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — the tool
  2. kid — to tease
  3. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  4. saw — the tool
  5. pound — to hit hard
  6. club — for dancing
  7. kid — child
  8. plane — an aircraft
  9. pound — for dogs
  10. cell — in biology
  11. staff — employees
  12. plane — a tool
  13. cell — a phone
  14. bore — to drill
  15. bore — gave birth
  16. cell — in a prison
  17. saw — past of 'see'
  18. staff — employees
  19. club — a group
  20. plane — in geometry
  21. bore — to tire
  22. pound — a weight
  23. club — for golf
  24. staff — a stick

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