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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 124 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. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  2. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  3. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  4. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  5. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  6. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  7. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  8. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  9. The water is too ________________.
  10. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  11. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  12. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  13. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  14. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  15. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  16. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  17. The light ________________ burned out.
  18. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  19. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  20. I've got to change the light ________________.
  21. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  22. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  23. When will it ________________ you to start?
  24. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?

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

Answer key

  1. suit — clothes
  2. kid — child
  3. bore — to drill
  4. club — a group
  5. face — to confront
  6. club — for dancing
  7. suit — in cards
  8. face — part of the head
  9. cold — not warm
  10. face — to point toward
  11. can — a tin
  12. kid — to tease
  13. cold — an illness
  14. bore — gave birth
  15. bulb — of a plant
  16. club — for golf
  17. bulb — for light
  18. can — to be able to
  19. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  20. bulb — for light
  21. cold — the Cold War
  22. can — a tin
  23. suit — to fit
  24. bore — to tire

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