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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. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  2. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  3. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  4. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  5. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  6. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  7. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  8. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  9. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  10. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  11. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  12. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  13. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  14. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  15. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  16. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  17. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  18. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  19. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  20. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  21. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  22. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  23. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  24. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — to tire
  2. kick — a thrill
  3. kick — in football
  4. squash — the sport
  5. wake — to stop sleeping
  6. rock — to move gently
  7. shower — to wash
  8. wake — a trail
  9. bore — gave birth
  10. bore — to drill
  11. mouse — the animal
  12. wake — before a funeral
  13. stem — of a plant
  14. shower — a meteor shower
  15. stem — to come from
  16. squash — to crush
  17. mouse — for a computer
  18. shower — rain
  19. rock — a stone
  20. rock — music
  21. stem — a stem cell
  22. mouse — the animal
  23. kick — with a leg
  24. squash — the vegetable

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