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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. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  2. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  3. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  4. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  5. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  6. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  7. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  8. Don't do anything ________________.
  9. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  10. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  11. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  12. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  13. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  14. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  15. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  16. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  17. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  18. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  19. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  20. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  21. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  22. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  23. Did you ________________ the meat?
  24. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.

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

Answer key

  1. kick — with a leg
  2. bear — to put up with
  3. rash — a series
  4. patient — calm and waiting
  5. kick — a thrill
  6. season — of the year
  7. kick — in football
  8. rash — hasty
  9. bear — the animal
  10. toast — a drink to someone
  11. bore — to drill
  12. bear — the animal
  13. rash — on the skin
  14. patient — a sick person
  15. season — in sport
  16. jam — to spread on bread
  17. jam — in traffic
  18. toast — bread
  19. toast — the most admired
  20. bore — to tire
  21. jam — a tight spot
  22. patient — a sick person
  23. season — to add flavour
  24. bore — gave birth

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