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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 120 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. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  3. That must've been a ________________.
  4. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  5. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  6. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  7. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  8. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  9. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  10. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  11. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  12. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  13. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  14. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  15. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  16. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  17. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  18. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  19. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  20. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  21. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  22. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  23. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  24. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.

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

Answer key

  1. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  2. march — music
  3. rush — a thrill
  4. firm — a company
  5. bore — to tire
  6. march — the month
  7. pass — to succeed
  8. kid — to tease
  9. wax — for sculpting
  10. pass — to spend time
  11. march — the month
  12. bore — to drill
  13. kid — child
  14. stick — to attach or keep to
  15. firm — steady
  16. wax — in the ear
  17. pass — a permit
  18. rush — to hurry
  19. bore — gave birth
  20. rush — hurry
  21. stick — a piece of wood
  22. stick — a piece of wood
  23. wax — to grow
  24. firm — decided

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