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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 · snap · pitch · bore · mate · firm · lie · tear

  1. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  2. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  3. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  4. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  5. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  6. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  7. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  8. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  9. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  10. Have you found your soul ________________?
  11. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  12. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  13. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  14. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  15. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  16. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  17. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  18. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  19. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  20. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  21. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  22. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  23. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  24. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.

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

Answer key

  1. mate — to breed
  2. firm — a company
  3. firm — steady
  4. lie — an untruth
  5. lie — an untruth
  6. tear — from crying
  7. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  8. snap — to click
  9. lie — to recline
  10. mate — a partner
  11. kid — child
  12. bore — to tire
  13. tear — from crying
  14. tear — to rip
  15. bore — to drill
  16. firm — decided
  17. mate — a friend
  18. bore — gave birth
  19. kid — to tease
  20. snap — to speak sharply
  21. pitch — a sports field
  22. pitch — a sales talk
  23. snap — to snap out of it
  24. pitch — completely

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