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

  1. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  2. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  3. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  4. I'll be taking the ________________.
  5. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  6. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  7. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  8. The King held a masked ________________.
  9. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  10. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  11. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  12. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  13. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  14. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  15. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  16. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  17. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  18. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  19. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  20. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  21. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  22. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  23. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  24. The kitten curled into a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — to drill
  2. kick — in football
  3. staff — employees
  4. tube — the underground
  5. ball — a great time
  6. field — a subject
  7. tube — in a tire
  8. ball — a dance
  9. dip — a sauce
  10. staff — employees
  11. kick — with a leg
  12. bore — gave birth
  13. rest — what's left
  14. kick — a thrill
  15. bore — to tire
  16. dip — to sink
  17. field — for sport
  18. dip — to dunk
  19. rest — a break
  20. tube — a container
  21. rest — what's left
  22. field — farmland
  23. staff — a stick
  24. ball — a round shape

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