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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. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  2. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  3. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  4. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  5. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  6. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  7. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  8. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  9. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  10. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  11. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  12. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  13. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  14. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  15. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  16. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  17. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  18. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  19. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  20. Don't do anything ________________.
  21. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  22. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  23. Did you ________________ the button?
  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. kick — with a leg
  2. leaves — lets stay
  3. rash — a series
  4. hand — part of the body
  5. bore — to drill
  6. bore — to tire
  7. rock — a stone
  8. rash — on the skin
  9. branch — of a bank
  10. hand — in cards
  11. rock — music
  12. bore — gave birth
  13. rock — to move gently
  14. leaves — to go away
  15. branch — a division
  16. kick — a thrill
  17. hand — help
  18. branch — of a tree
  19. press — a publisher
  20. rash — hasty
  21. press — newspapers
  22. leaves — of a tree
  23. press — to push
  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