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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. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  2. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  3. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  4. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  5. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  6. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  7. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  8. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  9. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  10. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  11. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  12. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  13. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  14. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  15. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  16. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  17. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  18. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  19. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  20. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  21. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  22. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  23. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  24. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — gave birth
  2. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  3. bank — of a river
  4. pit — a fruit stone
  5. bore — to tire
  6. bank — for money
  7. bark — a dog's sound
  8. pit — in a race
  9. kid — to tease
  10. pit — a hole
  11. deal — a big deal
  12. bore — to drill
  13. bank — for money
  14. bark — of a tree
  15. snap — to speak sharply
  16. deal — to handle
  17. snap — to click
  18. kid — child
  19. snap — to snap out of it
  20. field — a subject
  21. field — farmland
  22. bark — to shout
  23. field — for sport
  24. deal — an agreement

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