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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: kid · bore · rest · suit · chair · ball · squash · mouse

  1. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  2. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  3. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  4. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  5. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  6. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  7. The King held a masked ________________.
  8. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  9. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  10. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  11. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  12. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  13. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  14. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  15. When will it ________________ you to start?
  16. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  17. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  18. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  19. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  20. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  21. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  22. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  23. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  24. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.

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

Answer key

  1. kid — child
  2. bore — to drill
  3. chair — a professorship
  4. bore — to tire
  5. mouse — for a computer
  6. squash — the sport
  7. ball — a dance
  8. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  9. suit — in cards
  10. chair — to sit on
  11. ball — a great time
  12. squash — the vegetable
  13. kid — to tease
  14. rest — a break
  15. suit — to fit
  16. suit — clothes
  17. mouse — the animal
  18. rest — what's left
  19. mouse — the animal
  20. ball — a round shape
  21. squash — to crush
  22. rest — what's left
  23. chair — a leader
  24. bore — gave birth

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