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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 124 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've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  2. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  3. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  4. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  5. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  6. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  7. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  8. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  9. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  10. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  11. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  12. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  13. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  14. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  15. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  16. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  17. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  18. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  19. The ball is in your ________________.
  20. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  21. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  22. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  23. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  24. Beijing is the ________________ of China.

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

Answer key

  1. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  2. bore — to drill
  3. wave — a sudden rise
  4. court — of a king
  5. kid — to tease
  6. face — to point toward
  7. toast — a drink to someone
  8. bore — to tire
  9. toast — the most admired
  10. toast — bread
  11. bore — gave birth
  12. court — of law
  13. wake — to stop sleeping
  14. wave — with your hand
  15. wake — before a funeral
  16. capital — a big letter
  17. face — to confront
  18. kid — child
  19. court — for sport
  20. face — part of the head
  21. wake — a trail
  22. wave — of the sea
  23. capital — money
  24. capital — a city

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