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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 got the top ________________ in the exam.
  2. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  3. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  4. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  5. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  6. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  7. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  8. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  9. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  10. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  11. He was locked up in a ________________.
  12. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  13. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  14. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  15. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  16. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  17. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  18. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  19. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  20. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  21. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  22. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  23. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  24. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — a grade
  2. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  3. cell — in biology
  4. fork — a garden tool
  5. squash — to crush
  6. pass — to spend time
  7. bore — to tire
  8. bore — to drill
  9. pass — to succeed
  10. pass — a permit
  11. cell — in a prison
  12. leaves — of a tree
  13. bore — gave birth
  14. squash — the sport
  15. mark — to pay attention
  16. kid — to tease
  17. squash — the vegetable
  18. mark — a trace
  19. fork — to eat with
  20. leaves — to go away
  21. cell — a phone
  22. fork — in a road
  23. leaves — lets stay
  24. kid — child

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