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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 from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: fall · bore · dip · kid · bat · can · wind · rock

  1. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  2. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  3. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  4. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  5. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  6. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  7. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  8. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  9. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  10. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  11. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  12. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  13. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  14. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  15. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  16. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  17. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  18. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  19. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  20. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  21. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  22. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  23. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  24. I don't want to ________________ the boat.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — a stone
  2. bore — gave birth
  3. dip — to sink
  4. bat — in an idiom
  5. dip — a sauce
  6. wind — to turn a key
  7. dip — to dunk
  8. can — a tin
  9. wind — moving air
  10. wind — moving air
  11. can — a tin
  12. bat — for baseball
  13. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  14. bore — to drill
  15. fall — to drop
  16. bat — the animal
  17. rock — music
  18. fall — the season
  19. kid — child
  20. kid — to tease
  21. bore — to tire
  22. fall — to drop
  23. can — to be able to
  24. rock — to move gently

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