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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. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  2. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  3. That was ________________ to happen.
  4. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  5. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  6. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  7. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  8. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  9. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  10. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  11. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  12. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  13. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  14. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  15. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  16. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  17. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  18. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  19. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  20. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  21. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  22. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  23. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  24. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?

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

Answer key

  1. foot — part of the body
  2. foot — a measure
  3. bound — certain
  4. kick — with a leg
  5. snap — to snap out of it
  6. bound — tied together
  7. bore — to drill
  8. march — the month
  9. bore — gave birth
  10. kick — in football
  11. kick — a thrill
  12. hand — part of the body
  13. march — the month
  14. march — music
  15. hand — help
  16. hand — in cards
  17. foot — the bottom
  18. snap — to click
  19. kid — child
  20. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  21. snap — to speak sharply
  22. kid — to tease
  23. bound — obliged
  24. bore — to 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