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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. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  2. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  3. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  4. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  5. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  6. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  7. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  8. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  9. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  10. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  11. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  12. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  13. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  14. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  15. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  16. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  17. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  18. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  19. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  20. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  21. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  22. Did you ________________ the meat?
  23. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  24. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.

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

Answer key

  1. rule — a law
  2. bore — to tire
  3. safe — out of danger
  4. season — in sport
  5. kick — a thrill
  6. safe — out of danger
  7. object — a thing
  8. cue — a signal
  9. cue — a hint
  10. bore — to drill
  11. track — a path
  12. season — of the year
  13. rule — government
  14. kick — in football
  15. track — a song
  16. object — to protest
  17. object — an aim
  18. cue — for pool
  19. safe — a strongbox
  20. track — to keep track
  21. rule — to rule out
  22. season — to add flavour
  23. kick — with a leg
  24. bore — gave birth

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