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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. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  2. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  3. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  4. False peace will not ________________.
  5. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  6. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  7. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  8. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  9. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  10. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  11. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  12. The King held a masked ________________.
  13. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  14. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  15. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  16. Have you found your soul ________________?
  17. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  18. I'll be taking the ________________.
  19. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  20. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  21. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  22. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  23. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  24. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — a practice
  2. kick — with a leg
  3. ball — a round shape
  4. last — to go on
  5. tube — a container
  6. pound — for dogs
  7. pound — a weight
  8. kick — a thrill
  9. mate — a friend
  10. staff — employees
  11. staff — employees
  12. ball — a dance
  13. kick — in football
  14. ball — a great time
  15. drill — army training
  16. mate — a partner
  17. tube — in a tire
  18. tube — the underground
  19. pound — to hit hard
  20. last — finally
  21. last — final
  22. mate — to breed
  23. staff — a stick
  24. drill — the tool

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