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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. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  3. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  4. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  5. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  6. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  7. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  8. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  9. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  10. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  11. The light ________________ burned out.
  12. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  13. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  14. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  15. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  16. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  17. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  18. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  19. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  20. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  21. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  22. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  23. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  24. I've got to change the light ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  2. kid — to tease
  3. prune — to trim
  4. hide — to keep secret
  5. net — for catching
  6. bear — the animal
  7. bore — gave birth
  8. bank — for money
  9. kid — child
  10. bear — to put up with
  11. bulb — for light
  12. bore — to tire
  13. hide — to keep secret
  14. bear — the animal
  15. bulb — of a plant
  16. net — in sport
  17. prune — the fruit
  18. bore — to drill
  19. bank — of a river
  20. prune — to trim
  21. net — after costs
  22. bank — for money
  23. hide — animal skin
  24. bulb — for light

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