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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. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  2. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  3. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  4. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  5. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  6. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  7. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  8. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  9. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  10. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  11. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  12. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  13. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  14. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  15. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  16. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  17. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  18. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  19. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  20. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  21. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  22. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  23. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  24. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — in a race
  2. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  3. kid — child
  4. bore — to drill
  5. wound — an injury
  6. root — of a word
  7. bowl — to roll
  8. bowl — a dish
  9. kid — to tease
  10. bowl — a football final
  11. bore — gave birth
  12. wound — an injury
  13. snap — to speak sharply
  14. bore — to tire
  15. calf — a young animal
  16. root — of a plant
  17. calf — of the leg
  18. calf — a young animal
  19. snap — to click
  20. wound — past of 'wind'
  21. pit — a hole
  22. pit — a fruit stone
  23. root — the cause
  24. snap — to snap out of it

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