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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. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  2. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  3. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  4. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  5. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  6. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  7. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  8. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  9. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  10. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  11. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  12. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  13. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  14. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  15. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  16. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  17. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  18. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  19. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  20. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  21. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  22. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  23. Don't do anything ________________.
  24. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — to tire
  2. bore — to drill
  3. firm — decided
  4. kid — child
  5. firm — steady
  6. kid — to tease
  7. hand — part of the body
  8. firm — a company
  9. hand — in cards
  10. shower — rain
  11. hand — help
  12. prune — to trim
  13. shower — a meteor shower
  14. calf — a young animal
  15. calf — a young animal
  16. rash — on the skin
  17. prune — the fruit
  18. shower — to wash
  19. bore — gave birth
  20. calf — of the leg
  21. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  22. rash — a series
  23. rash — hasty
  24. prune — to trim

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