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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. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  2. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  3. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  4. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  5. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  6. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  7. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  8. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  9. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  10. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  11. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  12. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  13. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  14. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  15. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  16. That was a fun ________________.
  17. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  18. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  19. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  20. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  21. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  22. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  23. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  24. Have you found your soul ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. wake — to stop sleeping
  2. kick — with a leg
  3. mouse — the animal
  4. bore — to drill
  5. mate — a friend
  6. game — wild animals
  7. mine — an explosive
  8. cap — a lid
  9. mine — belonging to me
  10. mouse — for a computer
  11. wake — a trail
  12. kick — in football
  13. bore — to tire
  14. wake — before a funeral
  15. game — a kind of play
  16. game — a match
  17. cap — of ice
  18. bore — gave birth
  19. cap — a hat
  20. mouse — the animal
  21. kick — a thrill
  22. mine — for digging
  23. mate — to breed
  24. mate — a partner

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