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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 116 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: snap · band · key · perch · kid · bore · wound · deal

  1. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  2. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  3. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  4. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  5. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  6. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  7. This piece is in a major ________________.
  8. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  9. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  10. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  11. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  12. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  13. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  14. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  15. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  16. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  17. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  18. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  19. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  20. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  21. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  22. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  23. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  24. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.

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

Answer key

  1. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  2. key — for a lock
  3. perch — for a bird
  4. band — a music group
  5. kid — child
  6. bore — to drill
  7. key — in music
  8. perch — the fish
  9. deal — an agreement
  10. bore — gave birth
  11. band — a ring
  12. wound — past of 'wind'
  13. band — a rubber band
  14. snap — to speak sharply
  15. wound — an injury
  16. perch — for a bird
  17. snap — to snap out of it
  18. bore — to tire
  19. wound — an injury
  20. key — the most important part
  21. deal — to handle
  22. deal — a big deal
  23. kid — to tease
  24. snap — to click

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