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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. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  2. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  3. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  4. The ball is in your ________________.
  5. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  6. I've got to change the light ________________.
  7. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  8. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  9. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  10. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  11. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  12. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  13. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  14. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  15. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  16. The light ________________ burned out.
  17. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  18. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  19. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  20. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  21. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  22. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  23. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  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. lean — thin
  2. court — of law
  3. kick — with a leg
  4. court — for sport
  5. bore — to drill
  6. bulb — for light
  7. bulb — of a plant
  8. bat — in an idiom
  9. drill — the tool
  10. drill — a practice
  11. lean — to bend
  12. board — a committee
  13. bat — for baseball
  14. lean — to rest against
  15. bat — the animal
  16. bulb — for light
  17. court — of a king
  18. drill — army training
  19. kick — in football
  20. board — to get on
  21. board — a flat piece
  22. bore — gave birth
  23. bore — to tire
  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