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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: kid · date · mouse · craft · rest · bore · mine · firm

  1. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  2. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  3. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  4. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  5. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  6. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  7. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  8. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  9. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  10. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  11. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  12. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  13. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  14. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  15. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  16. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  17. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  18. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  19. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  20. Have you settled on a ________________?
  21. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  22. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  23. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  24. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.

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

Answer key

  1. mine — an explosive
  2. firm — steady
  3. bore — to drill
  4. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  5. craft — boats
  6. mouse — the animal
  7. rest — what's left
  8. mine — belonging to me
  9. firm — a company
  10. craft — a skill
  11. date — on the calendar
  12. firm — decided
  13. rest — a break
  14. mine — for digging
  15. kid — child
  16. rest — what's left
  17. craft — a handicraft
  18. mouse — the animal
  19. bore — to tire
  20. date — on the calendar
  21. mouse — for a computer
  22. bore — gave birth
  23. date — the fruit
  24. kid — to tease

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