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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 120 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. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  2. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  3. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  4. The ball is in your ________________.
  5. Where did you ________________ them?
  6. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  7. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  8. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  9. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  10. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  11. I'll be taking the ________________.
  12. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  13. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  14. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  15. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  16. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  17. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  18. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — to tire
  2. bore — to drill
  3. kick — in football
  4. court — for sport
  5. mug — to rob
  6. kick — a thrill
  7. tube — a container
  8. hide — to keep secret
  9. court — of a king
  10. court — of law
  11. tube — the underground
  12. kick — with a leg
  13. mug — a cup
  14. hide — to keep secret
  15. bore — gave birth
  16. mug — a face
  17. hide — animal skin
  18. tube — in a tire

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