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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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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: sharp · foot · bore · spell · kid · can · rush · stick

  1. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  2. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  3. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  4. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  5. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  6. How do you ________________ your surname?
  7. It's one o'clock ________________.
  8. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  9. That must've been a ________________.
  10. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  11. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  12. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  13. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  14. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  15. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  16. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  17. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  18. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  19. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  20. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  21. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  22. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  23. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  24. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.

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

Answer key

  1. kid — child
  2. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  3. foot — the bottom
  4. rush — hurry
  5. stick — a piece of wood
  6. spell — letters
  7. sharp — exactly
  8. rush — to hurry
  9. rush — a thrill
  10. bore — to drill
  11. kid — to tease
  12. can — to be able to
  13. stick — to attach or keep to
  14. foot — part of the body
  15. foot — a measure
  16. sharp — with an edge
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. bore — gave birth
  19. sharp — clever
  20. bore — to tire
  21. can — a tin
  22. can — a tin
  23. spell — magic
  24. spell — a short time

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