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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 120 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 had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  2. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  3. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  4. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  5. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  6. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  7. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  8. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  9. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  10. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  11. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  12. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  13. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  14. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  15. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  16. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  17. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  18. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  19. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  20. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  21. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  22. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  23. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  24. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?

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

Answer key

  1. kid — child
  2. hand — help
  3. object — an aim
  4. bore — to tire
  5. craft — a handicraft
  6. mine — an explosive
  7. bore — gave birth
  8. safe — out of danger
  9. mine — for digging
  10. lean — to rest against
  11. kid — to tease
  12. lean — to bend
  13. craft — boats
  14. safe — out of danger
  15. object — a thing
  16. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  17. mine — belonging to me
  18. craft — a skill
  19. safe — a strongbox
  20. bore — to drill
  21. hand — in cards
  22. hand — part of the body
  23. lean — thin
  24. object — to protest

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