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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. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  2. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  3. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  4. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  5. I'll be taking the ________________.
  6. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  7. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  8. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  9. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  10. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  11. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  12. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  13. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  14. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  15. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  16. It's one o'clock ________________.
  17. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  18. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  19. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  20. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  21. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  22. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  23. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  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. kick — with a leg
  3. sharp — with an edge
  4. face — to confront
  5. tube — the underground
  6. bore — gave birth
  7. sharp — clever
  8. bore — to drill
  9. firm — decided
  10. firm — a company
  11. stick — a piece of wood
  12. hand — in cards
  13. firm — steady
  14. stick — to attach or keep to
  15. hand — part of the body
  16. sharp — exactly
  17. kick — a thrill
  18. tube — a container
  19. face — to point toward
  20. stick — a piece of wood
  21. hand — help
  22. face — part of the head
  23. tube — in a tire
  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