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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. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  3. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  4. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  5. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  6. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  7. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  8. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  9. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  10. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  11. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  12. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  13. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  14. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  15. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  16. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  17. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  18. There's no middle ________________.
  19. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  20. He was locked up in a ________________.
  21. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  22. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  23. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  24. When will it ________________ you to start?

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

Answer key

  1. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  2. hide — to keep secret
  3. kid — child
  4. bore — gave birth
  5. ground — the earth
  6. staff — employees
  7. staff — a stick
  8. hide — to keep secret
  9. hide — animal skin
  10. kid — to tease
  11. bore — to drill
  12. branch — of a tree
  13. staff — employees
  14. suit — in cards
  15. branch — of a bank
  16. cell — in biology
  17. bore — to tire
  18. ground — a position
  19. cell — a phone
  20. cell — in a prison
  21. branch — a division
  22. suit — clothes
  23. ground — crushed
  24. suit — to fit

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