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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. False peace will not ________________.
  2. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  3. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  4. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  5. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  6. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  7. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  8. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  9. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  10. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  11. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  12. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  13. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  14. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  15. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  16. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  17. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  18. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  19. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  20. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  21. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  22. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  23. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  24. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.

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

Answer key

  1. last — to go on
  2. last — finally
  3. kick — with a leg
  4. mouse — the animal
  5. dip — to dunk
  6. bore — gave birth
  7. safe — out of danger
  8. last — final
  9. pound — a weight
  10. pound — to hit hard
  11. mouse — the animal
  12. dip — a sauce
  13. mouse — for a computer
  14. bore — to drill
  15. dip — to sink
  16. bore — to tire
  17. kick — in football
  18. net — after costs
  19. net — in sport
  20. pound — for dogs
  21. safe — out of danger
  22. net — for catching
  23. safe — a strongbox
  24. kick — a thrill

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