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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: fine · net · rock · rash · arm · bore · mine · kid

  1. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  2. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  3. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  4. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  5. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  6. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  7. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  8. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  9. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  10. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  11. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  12. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  13. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  14. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  15. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  16. My father caught me by the ________________.
  17. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  18. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  19. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  20. Don't do anything ________________.
  21. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  22. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  23. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  24. I seem to be developing a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — gave birth
  2. rock — music
  3. bore — to tire
  4. kid — child
  5. bore — to drill
  6. net — for catching
  7. mine — belonging to me
  8. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  9. fine — a penalty
  10. net — after costs
  11. mine — for digging
  12. fine — high quality
  13. kid — to tease
  14. arm — a part of something
  15. arm — part of the body
  16. arm — part of the body
  17. rock — a stone
  18. rock — to move gently
  19. net — in sport
  20. rash — hasty
  21. rash — a series
  22. fine — all right
  23. mine — an explosive
  24. rash — on the skin

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