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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. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  3. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  4. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  5. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  6. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  7. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  8. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  9. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  10. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  11. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  12. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  13. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  14. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  15. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  16. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  17. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  18. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  19. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  20. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  21. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  22. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  23. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  24. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.

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

Answer key

  1. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  2. kick — in football
  3. pound — to hit hard
  4. snap — to speak sharply
  5. snap — to click
  6. kid — to tease
  7. object — an aim
  8. cue — a hint
  9. snap — to snap out of it
  10. bore — gave birth
  11. kick — a thrill
  12. bore — to tire
  13. kick — with a leg
  14. branch — of a tree
  15. object — to protest
  16. pound — a weight
  17. kid — child
  18. cue — a signal
  19. cue — for pool
  20. object — a thing
  21. pound — for dogs
  22. bore — to drill
  23. branch — a division
  24. branch — of a bank

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