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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 took cover from the thunder ________________.
  2. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  3. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  4. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  5. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  6. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  7. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  8. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  9. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  10. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  11. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  12. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  13. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  14. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  15. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  16. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  17. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  18. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  19. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  20. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  21. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  22. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  23. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  24. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.

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

Answer key

  1. shower — rain
  2. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  3. bore — to tire
  4. scale — in music
  5. kid — child
  6. squash — to crush
  7. bore — to drill
  8. shower — to wash
  9. bore — gave birth
  10. scale — for weighing
  11. cue — a hint
  12. squash — the vegetable
  13. prune — to trim
  14. bear — the animal
  15. cue — a signal
  16. prune — the fruit
  17. squash — the sport
  18. cue — for pool
  19. bear — to put up with
  20. shower — a meteor shower
  21. bear — the animal
  22. scale — size or range
  23. prune — to trim
  24. kid — to tease

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