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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 116 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: rash · mark · bore · deal · kid · clip · hide · leaves

  1. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  2. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  3. Don't do anything ________________.
  4. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  5. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  6. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  7. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  8. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  9. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  10. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  11. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  12. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  13. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  14. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  15. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  16. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  17. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  18. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  19. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  20. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  21. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  22. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  23. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  24. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — a trace
  2. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  3. rash — hasty
  4. hide — animal skin
  5. bore — to tire
  6. deal — to handle
  7. mark — to pay attention
  8. kid — to tease
  9. hide — to keep secret
  10. leaves — lets stay
  11. deal — a big deal
  12. kid — child
  13. leaves — of a tree
  14. rash — a series
  15. leaves — to go away
  16. bore — to drill
  17. hide — to keep secret
  18. bore — gave birth
  19. mark — a grade
  20. clip — a video
  21. rash — on the skin
  22. clip — for paper
  23. clip — to cut
  24. deal — an agreement

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