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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. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  2. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  3. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  4. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  5. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  6. When will it ________________ you to start?
  7. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  8. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  9. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  10. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  11. He is an ace ________________.
  12. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  13. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  14. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  15. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  16. The King held a masked ________________.
  17. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  18. The ________________ took off on time.
  19. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  20. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  21. I'll be taking the ________________.
  22. Have you settled on a ________________?
  23. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  24. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — to tire
  2. ball — a round shape
  3. bore — gave birth
  4. tube — in a tire
  5. date — the fruit
  6. suit — to fit
  7. kick — with a leg
  8. pitcher — a jug
  9. ball — a great time
  10. kick — a thrill
  11. pitcher — in baseball
  12. plane — a tool
  13. pitcher — a jug
  14. bore — to drill
  15. tube — a container
  16. ball — a dance
  17. suit — clothes
  18. plane — an aircraft
  19. plane — in geometry
  20. date — on the calendar
  21. tube — the underground
  22. date — on the calendar
  23. suit — in cards
  24. kick — in football

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