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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. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  2. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  3. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  4. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  5. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  6. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  7. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  8. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  9. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  10. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  11. That was a fun ________________.
  12. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  13. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  14. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  15. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  16. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  17. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  18. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  19. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  20. When are we going to ________________?
  21. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  22. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  23. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  24. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — gave birth
  2. bore — to drill
  3. land — ground
  4. chair — a leader
  5. kick — in football
  6. mouse — for a computer
  7. wave — with your hand
  8. kick — with a leg
  9. chair — to sit on
  10. lie — an untruth
  11. game — a match
  12. mouse — the animal
  13. game — wild animals
  14. wave — of the sea
  15. chair — a professorship
  16. mouse — the animal
  17. kick — a thrill
  18. bore — to tire
  19. lie — to recline
  20. land — to come down
  21. game — a kind of play
  22. lie — an untruth
  23. land — a country
  24. wave — a sudden rise

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