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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: mark · arm · kid · can · bore · bear · fine · net

  1. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  2. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  3. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  4. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  5. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  6. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  7. My father caught me by the ________________.
  8. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  9. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  10. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  11. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  12. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  13. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  14. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  15. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  16. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  17. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  18. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  19. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  20. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  21. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  22. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  23. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  24. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.

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

Answer key

  1. kid — to tease
  2. fine — all right
  3. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  4. mark — to pay attention
  5. can — to be able to
  6. net — for catching
  7. arm — part of the body
  8. mark — a grade
  9. bear — the animal
  10. bore — to tire
  11. bear — the animal
  12. bore — gave birth
  13. bore — to drill
  14. arm — a part of something
  15. arm — part of the body
  16. can — a tin
  17. mark — a trace
  18. net — in sport
  19. net — after costs
  20. fine — a penalty
  21. bear — to put up with
  22. can — a tin
  23. kid — child
  24. fine — high quality

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