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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 120 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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Word bank
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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: bat · fine · lean · kid · bear · cap · mug · bore

  1. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  2. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  3. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  4. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  5. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  6. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  7. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  8. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  9. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  10. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  11. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  12. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  13. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  14. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  15. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  16. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  17. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  18. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  19. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  20. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  21. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  22. Where did you ________________ them?
  23. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  24. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.

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

Answer key

  1. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  2. cap — of ice
  3. bore — to tire
  4. lean — to rest against
  5. bear — the animal
  6. mug — a cup
  7. bat — for baseball
  8. bore — to drill
  9. cap — a lid
  10. lean — to bend
  11. bear — the animal
  12. bat — in an idiom
  13. cap — a hat
  14. kid — child
  15. bore — gave birth
  16. mug — a face
  17. fine — all right
  18. fine — high quality
  19. lean — thin
  20. kid — to tease
  21. bat — the animal
  22. mug — to rob
  23. bear — to put up with
  24. fine — a penalty

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