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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 ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  2. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  3. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  4. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  5. The King held a masked ________________.
  6. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  7. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  8. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  9. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  10. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  11. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  12. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  13. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  14. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  15. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  16. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  17. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  18. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  19. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  20. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  21. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  22. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  23. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  24. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — gave birth
  2. cap — a lid
  3. kid — to tease
  4. bore — to tire
  5. ball — a dance
  6. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  7. kick — a thrill
  8. ball — a round shape
  9. cap — of ice
  10. lie — an untruth
  11. craft — a skill
  12. march — music
  13. cap — a hat
  14. ball — a great time
  15. lie — to recline
  16. craft — boats
  17. lie — an untruth
  18. march — the month
  19. bore — to drill
  20. march — the month
  21. craft — a handicraft
  22. kick — with a leg
  23. kid — child
  24. kick — in football

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