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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 116 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. Don't do anything ________________.
  2. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  3. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  4. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  5. Have you found your soul ________________?
  6. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  7. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  8. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  9. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  10. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  11. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  12. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  13. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  14. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  15. That must've been a ________________.
  16. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  17. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  18. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  19. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  20. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  21. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  22. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  23. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  24. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — hasty
  2. stick — a piece of wood
  3. rush — hurry
  4. bore — to drill
  5. mate — a partner
  6. kick — in football
  7. mate — a friend
  8. rule — a law
  9. rush — to hurry
  10. kick — with a leg
  11. bore — gave birth
  12. stick — to attach or keep to
  13. stick — a piece of wood
  14. kick — a thrill
  15. rush — a thrill
  16. mouse — for a computer
  17. rash — a series
  18. mouse — the animal
  19. mate — to breed
  20. bore — to tire
  21. rash — on the skin
  22. mouse — the animal
  23. rule — government
  24. rule — to rule out

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