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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 have nothing to ________________ here.
  2. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  3. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  4. My mare is ________________ in color.
  5. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  6. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  7. The ________________ took off on time.
  8. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  9. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  10. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  11. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  12. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  13. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  14. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  15. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  16. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  17. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  18. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  19. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  20. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  21. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  22. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  23. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  24. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — to keep secret
  2. kid — to tease
  3. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  4. bay — a horse colour
  5. kid — child
  6. cue — for pool
  7. plane — an aircraft
  8. hand — help
  9. tear — to rip
  10. plane — a tool
  11. bore — to tire
  12. cue — a hint
  13. bore — gave birth
  14. tear — from crying
  15. hand — part of the body
  16. plane — in geometry
  17. hide — animal skin
  18. hand — in cards
  19. bore — to drill
  20. bay — to keep at bay
  21. tear — from crying
  22. hide — to keep secret
  23. cue — a signal
  24. bay — a part of the sea

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