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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. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  2. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  3. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  4. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  5. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  6. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  7. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  8. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  9. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  10. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  11. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  12. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  13. How do you ________________ your surname?
  14. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  15. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  16. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  17. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  18. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  19. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  20. That was a fun ________________.
  21. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  22. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  23. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  24. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — a short time
  2. firm — steady
  3. object — to protest
  4. bore — gave birth
  5. dip — to sink
  6. dip — to dunk
  7. kick — in football
  8. bore — to drill
  9. dip — a sauce
  10. kick — with a leg
  11. object — a thing
  12. object — an aim
  13. spell — letters
  14. game — wild animals
  15. game — a kind of play
  16. stick — a piece of wood
  17. bore — to tire
  18. firm — decided
  19. firm — a company
  20. game — a match
  21. kick — a thrill
  22. stick — a piece of wood
  23. spell — magic
  24. stick — to attach or keep to

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