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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. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  2. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  3. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  4. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  5. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  6. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  7. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  8. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  9. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  10. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  11. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  12. What do you think of the new ________________?
  13. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  14. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  15. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  16. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  17. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  18. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  19. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  20. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  21. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  22. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  23. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  24. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — a cupboard
  2. bowl — a dish
  3. bore — to drill
  4. row — a quarrel
  5. prune — to trim
  6. bore — to tire
  7. kick — in football
  8. row — to paddle
  9. snap — to click
  10. prune — the fruit
  11. cabinet — ministers
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. row — a line
  14. kick — a thrill
  15. snap — to snap out of it
  16. bowl — a football final
  17. bowl — to roll
  18. ruler — a monarch
  19. ruler — for measuring
  20. snap — to speak sharply
  21. bore — gave birth
  22. prune — to trim
  23. kick — with a leg
  24. ruler — for measuring

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