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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. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  3. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  4. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  5. I'll be taking the ________________.
  6. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  7. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  8. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  9. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  10. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  11. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  12. That was ________________ to happen.
  13. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  14. When will it ________________ you to start?
  15. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  16. The water is too ________________.
  17. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  18. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  19. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  20. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  21. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  22. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  23. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  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. tube — a container
  3. cold — the Cold War
  4. bore — gave birth
  5. tube — the underground
  6. bore — to tire
  7. racket — for tennis
  8. bound — tied together
  9. firm — a company
  10. racket — for tennis
  11. suit — in cards
  12. bound — certain
  13. firm — steady
  14. suit — to fit
  15. tube — in a tire
  16. cold — not warm
  17. cold — an illness
  18. bound — obliged
  19. racket — a loud noise
  20. bore — to drill
  21. firm — decided
  22. kick — a thrill
  23. suit — clothes
  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