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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: rash · chest · lie · kid · bore · root · firm · rest

  1. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  2. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  3. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  4. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  5. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  6. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  7. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  8. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  9. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  10. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  11. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  12. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  13. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  14. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  15. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  16. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  17. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  18. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  19. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  20. Don't do anything ________________.
  21. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  22. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  23. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  24. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — to drill
  2. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  3. root — the cause
  4. lie — an untruth
  5. chest — of your body
  6. chest — of your body
  7. bore — to tire
  8. lie — to recline
  9. rest — a break
  10. rest — what's left
  11. firm — decided
  12. kid — to tease
  13. bore — gave birth
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. firm — a company
  16. chest — a box
  17. root — of a plant
  18. rash — a series
  19. rest — what's left
  20. rash — hasty
  21. firm — steady
  22. rash — on the skin
  23. kid — child
  24. root — of a word

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