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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 124 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. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  2. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  3. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  4. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  5. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  6. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  7. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  8. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  9. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  10. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  11. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  12. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  13. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  14. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  15. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  16. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  17. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  18. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  19. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  20. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  21. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  22. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  23. When are we going to ________________?
  24. I'll be taking the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. land — a country
  2. bore — to drill
  3. kick — a thrill
  4. bowl — to roll
  5. land — ground
  6. kick — with a leg
  7. tube — in a tire
  8. bowl — a football final
  9. kid — child
  10. ruler — for measuring
  11. ruler — a monarch
  12. bore — gave birth
  13. bear — the animal
  14. kid — to tease
  15. bear — to put up with
  16. bore — to tire
  17. tube — a container
  18. bowl — a dish
  19. bear — the animal
  20. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  21. ruler — for measuring
  22. kick — in football
  23. land — to come down
  24. tube — the underground

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