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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: kid · hide · craft · safe · pitcher · deal · rule · bore

  1. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  2. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  3. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  4. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  5. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  6. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  7. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  8. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  9. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  10. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  11. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  12. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  13. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  14. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  15. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  16. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  17. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  18. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  19. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  20. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  21. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  22. He is an ace ________________.
  23. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  24. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — out of danger
  2. deal — a big deal
  3. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  4. rule — to rule out
  5. deal — an agreement
  6. craft — a handicraft
  7. rule — a law
  8. craft — a skill
  9. hide — to keep secret
  10. hide — animal skin
  11. pitcher — a jug
  12. craft — boats
  13. pitcher — a jug
  14. bore — to drill
  15. bore — to tire
  16. kid — child
  17. bore — gave birth
  18. rule — government
  19. safe — a strongbox
  20. deal — to handle
  21. hide — to keep secret
  22. pitcher — in baseball
  23. safe — out of danger
  24. kid — to tease

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