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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: object · bore · ground · foot · craft · straw · charge · kid

  1. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  2. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  3. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  4. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  5. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  6. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  7. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  8. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  9. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  10. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  11. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  12. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  13. The tickets are free of ________________.
  14. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  15. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  16. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  17. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  18. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  19. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  20. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  21. There's no middle ________________.
  22. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  23. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  24. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — a straw man
  2. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  3. kid — child
  4. kid — to tease
  5. ground — the earth
  6. foot — a measure
  7. straw — to clutch at straws
  8. straw — dry grass
  9. bore — to tire
  10. object — a thing
  11. bore — to drill
  12. craft — a handicraft
  13. charge — a price
  14. foot — the bottom
  15. ground — crushed
  16. charge — electricity
  17. object — an aim
  18. foot — part of the body
  19. craft — a skill
  20. bore — gave birth
  21. ground — a position
  22. craft — boats
  23. object — to protest
  24. charge — in control

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