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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've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  2. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  3. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  4. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  5. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  6. He is an ace ________________.
  7. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  8. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  9. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  10. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  11. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  12. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  13. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  14. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  15. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  16. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  17. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  18. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  19. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  20. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  21. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  22. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  23. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  24. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.

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

Answer key

  1. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  2. pass — to spend time
  3. bore — to drill
  4. capital — a city
  5. snap — to speak sharply
  6. pitcher — in baseball
  7. kid — child
  8. bore — gave birth
  9. rest — what's left
  10. capital — a big letter
  11. vault — a safe
  12. snap — to click
  13. rest — what's left
  14. bore — to tire
  15. rest — a break
  16. vault — in gymnastics
  17. pitcher — a jug
  18. kid — to tease
  19. snap — to snap out of it
  20. vault — an arched ceiling
  21. pass — a permit
  22. capital — money
  23. pass — to succeed
  24. pitcher — a jug

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