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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. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  2. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  3. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  4. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  5. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  6. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  7. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  8. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  9. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  10. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  11. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  12. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  13. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  14. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  15. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  16. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  17. David sat on the ________________.
  18. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  19. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  20. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  21. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  22. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  23. When will it ________________ you to start?
  24. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.

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

Answer key

  1. kid — child
  2. bore — gave birth
  3. current — electric
  4. bore — to tire
  5. rest — a break
  6. rest — what's left
  7. kid — to tease
  8. rest — what's left
  9. current — happening now
  10. suit — clothes
  11. row — a line
  12. current — of water
  13. object — to protest
  14. object — an aim
  15. object — a thing
  16. swing — music
  17. swing — to play on
  18. swing — in golf
  19. row — a quarrel
  20. suit — in cards
  21. bore — to drill
  22. row — to paddle
  23. suit — to fit
  24. kid — young goat (kid gloves)

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