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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 · stick · rest · staff · deal · club · bore · hide

  1. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  2. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  3. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  4. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  5. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  6. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  7. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  8. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  9. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  10. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  11. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  12. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  13. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  14. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  15. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  16. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  17. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  18. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  19. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  20. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  21. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  22. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  23. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  24. We have nothing to ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. kid — to tease
  2. rest — what's left
  3. stick — a piece of wood
  4. bore — to drill
  5. rest — a break
  6. hide — animal skin
  7. club — a group
  8. kid — child
  9. stick — a piece of wood
  10. staff — employees
  11. deal — an agreement
  12. stick — to attach or keep to
  13. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  14. bore — to tire
  15. staff — a stick
  16. club — for dancing
  17. hide — to keep secret
  18. club — for golf
  19. deal — a big deal
  20. bore — gave birth
  21. deal — to handle
  22. rest — what's left
  23. staff — employees
  24. hide — to keep secret

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