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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. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  2. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  3. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  4. The ________________ took off on time.
  5. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  6. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  7. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  8. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  9. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  10. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  11. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  12. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  13. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  14. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  15. I can't ________________ this cold.
  16. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  17. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  18. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  19. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  20. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  21. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  22. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  23. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  24. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — in cards
  2. kid — to tease
  3. hand — help
  4. plane — an aircraft
  5. stand — on your feet
  6. bore — gave birth
  7. bore — to drill
  8. toast — the most admired
  9. jam — in traffic
  10. plane — a tool
  11. calf — a young animal
  12. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  13. kid — child
  14. toast — bread
  15. stand — to bear
  16. calf — a young animal
  17. jam — a tight spot
  18. jam — to spread on bread
  19. calf — of the leg
  20. bore — to tire
  21. plane — in geometry
  22. hand — part of the body
  23. toast — a drink to someone
  24. stand — for spectators

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