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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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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  2. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  3. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  4. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  5. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  6. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  7. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  8. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  9. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  10. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  11. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  12. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  13. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  14. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  15. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  16. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  17. It's one o'clock ________________.
  18. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?

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

Answer key

  1. kick — with a leg
  2. race — the arms race
  3. bore — to drill
  4. hide — animal skin
  5. race — a contest
  6. cap — a hat
  7. race — humankind
  8. bore — gave birth
  9. cap — of ice
  10. kick — a thrill
  11. sharp — with an edge
  12. bore — to tire
  13. kick — in football
  14. hide — to keep secret
  15. sharp — clever
  16. cap — a lid
  17. sharp — exactly
  18. 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