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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. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  2. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  3. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  4. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  5. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  6. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  7. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  8. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  9. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  10. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  11. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  12. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  13. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  14. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  15. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  16. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  17. That was ________________ to happen.
  18. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  19. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  20. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  21. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  22. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  23. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  24. Have you found your soul ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. kick — a thrill
  2. kick — with a leg
  3. bound — tied together
  4. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  5. racket — a loud noise
  6. kid — child
  7. mate — to breed
  8. kick — in football
  9. can — a tin
  10. mate — a friend
  11. kid — to tease
  12. drill — a practice
  13. can — a tin
  14. fall — to drop
  15. can — to be able to
  16. fall — the season
  17. bound — certain
  18. drill — the tool
  19. drill — army training
  20. fall — to drop
  21. bound — obliged
  22. racket — for tennis
  23. racket — for tennis
  24. mate — a partner

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